Cannibal
by CuteChibiChocoCloud
Summary: Zoro is a cop, who gets caught up in a case that could change his life forever. Yaoi, ZXL?
1. Prologue

Cannibal

By CuteChibiChocoCloud

DISCLAIMER:- Alas, I do not own One Piece…if I did, dy'a think that it wouldn't be pervy? (if your answer is no, I'd suggest you turn back right now)

WARNING:- This fiction is for mature readers only, and those who are comfortable about man on man relationships. Even though this fiction is still a work in progress, I can almost guarantee that there will be an intimate scene later (i.e. we're gonna see some sex people!). Hope you all enjoy.

Prologue

There was an eerie air of silence, as the group of officers crept towards the door. Although they were fully trained professionals, nothing could have prepared them for the fear that grew in their stomachs at that moment. This was no ordinary criminal they were going to face.

The man they were about to confront, ate men like them for breakfast…literally!

All the men looked at each other, all aware of what the consequences of their actions might be.

One man, somehow, stood forward to do what the others didn't have the guts to do.

Placing a quaking hand on the door, the police officer swung the door open. Without any hesitation, he raised his gun at the shadow at the opposite end of the room. While the men filed into the darkened room, their faces contorted at the horrid stench that greeted them.

It was the stench of death!

"You're surrounded!" said the leader in a shaky voice, "There's no way you can escape!"

As the shadowed figure turned round, the officers were all frozen in fear. The only thing they could do, was shoot if he…it…whatever he was, tried to attack them.

Stepping into the dim light that streamed through a broken window pane, the man revealed himself.

The men were in shock, at what stood before them. From all the many tales that they had heard, this 'thing', was a cruel and sinister man. However, the form of this beast was far more terrible.

A young man, no younger than seventeen, flashing them a huge, innocent looking smile. It was terrifying to wonder how a young teen like this boy could commit such disgusting acts.

Though there was no doubt that he was the killer. What other reason could the boy have for the blood the drenched his clothes, that trickled from that smile…

Bright eyes pierced through them, as the boy examined his next victims.

This was the end if the line for them. So far, no one had walked away from the infamous cannibal alive.

Licking his eager lips, and wiping a hand through his blood slicked hair, the boy cheerfully said, "Mmmmmm! Meat!"

_Well, there you have it. A tiny little chapter, but they won't be this short again, most of the time. Anywayz, cause I'm sooooo kind and generous, I'm posting the next chapter straight away (also cause I don't want anyone to get bored…I'm a baaaaad writer – geh). People might notice the resemblance to the 'Silence of the Lambs' movie, but I'm not stealing the film plot, so have no fear, this is (vaguely) fresh work here folks. So, if this prologue didn't catch your interest…just keep reading and see whatcha think then…I always have my faithful Luffy on a leash if all else fails._

_Luffy: …meeeeeeat…huuuuuungry…_

; _(sometimes, he reminds me of a Furby…shudder…those things are creepy)_

_Feel free to R&R. Tell me whatcha think. No flames please._


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It all started when he had been training in the gymnasium. One of his co-workers had interrupted him, which of course, he was thoroughly pissed off with. However, once he found out the man's reason, he was more than pleased with this disturbance in his daily regime.

He had been given a new case to work on. But this was no ordinary mission. This would mean he'd have the honour of putting one of the largest drug baron's behind bars. A case like this one would lead to yet another promotion.

One step closer to fulfilling his dream.

Now, he found himself flicking through files and paper work that had to be filled out. Nothing bored him more than paper work. But, he had to put up with it, since it was all a part of the job. There was no way he could better himself by skipping out parts of his work. Anyway, he'd lose his job if he did, and there was no way in hell that he'd take that risk.

There was a knock on the door to his office, but he didn't bother answering. He knew exactly who it was, from the rhythmic knock that he was all too familiar with. Since it was her, he knew she'd just stroll right in, whatever he said.

Not to his surprise, she walked right in without a care, "Hey Zoro."

Glancing briefly at her, his eyes slowly slid back down to his work.

"What do you want Nami," his voice lacked any emotion, "Can't you see I'm busy."

This was both the truth, and a lie. Yes, he had lots of papers to sift through, but in all honesty, he cared nothing for any of it.

"That's what I came to see you about," she casually walked over to his desk, sat on it and crossed her legs. Letting her skirt rise up her thighs in a suggestive manner, she continued, "Heard about the case you're working on. Just wanted to congratulate you."

"Thanks," his eyes kept darting from her creamy thighs back to his files, even though he tried hard not to.

"If you ever need help," she smoothed a hand over the shoulder of his white shirt, and bent down to whisper in his ear, "Just ask, and I'll be your partner."

Dropping off the desk, Nami winked, before turning on her heel, and swayed her hips as she exited the room.

Slightly flustered and overwhelmed, Zoro shook his head and turned back to the papers.

Shifting in his seat, he placed his feet unceremoniously on the desk, and leaned back as he read his case file.

'The recent death of drug baron 'Red Shoes' Zeff, has rose concern in the FBI. No one knows the method in which he died, or the location of the corpse. However, his stepson, Sanji, has now taken Zeff's place, and claims that his stepfather had a heart attack, and has been given a traditional burial. We have suspicions, that Zeff was murdered, since there is no hospital records or death certificate for Zeff. Now, Sanji owns Zeff's chain of restaurants as well as his successful drug ring. Our aim is to gather evidence of the drug ring, and also evidence that Zeff was murdered, and by who. You have been entrusted with this mission, due to your high standards of investigation. You are to get in contact with Sanji, and decipher his motives, and also find out where and when his drugs are exported and imported. Enclosed in this file, are some of Zeff's old contacts, who may help you in your investigation. Use this information well, and on behalf of the police department, I wish you the best of luck.

Signed, Captain A.A. Morgan'

Putting the mission brief to the back of the file, Zoro looked through the list of contacts. One in particular, caused him great shock.

'Name - Monkey D. Luffy

DOB - 5/5/19XX

Height - 5'8''

Hair - Black

Eyes - Black

Ethnicity - Caucasian white

Current status - Held in 'Prison for Violent Criminals' (PVC)'

All this was standard, but it was when he realized who this was, that he was left in awe. One of the most famous criminals in the world. Famous for the way he murdered his victims…

'Grounds for arrest - Practicing the act of cannibalism on innocent citizens and professional policemen.'

This was who he had to work with?

A CANNIBAL!

_Godz, I didn't realize how short this chapter was too. Oh well, that's all yer gettin for now. However I will return in the hopefully not too distant future. I already have up to chapter ten written out, but I'm not bothering to check it over again – so lazy. Yay, Luffy likes ALL his meats…kinda gross, since I'm actually a vegetarian, but hey, I love writing this crap! For all you Luffy lovin fanatics there will be plenty of him soon._

_Love and peace everyone (sound like suuch a hippy,woops)and please if you can be assed tell me whatcha think. _


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Do me a favour, and get me more information on a guy called Sanji for me while I'm away," Zoro chucked a folder carelessly onto Nami's desk.

"Where ya going Zoro?" she enquired.

"I'm heading down to PVC, to ask one of the prisoners about 'Red Shoes'. I wanna try and get some leads on 'Red's' stepson, the guy I want you to look up."

Throwing on his jacket, Zoro straightened his tie, and pulled the zipper half way up. Before he left though, he was in dire need of some coffee.

Nami picked herself up from her desk, and followed him to the coffee dispenser.

"So, who's the guy you're going to see? It is a guy, right?"

Fumbling in his pocket for loose change, Zoro grumbled, "Yeah. I'm seeing some guy called Luffy," he enjoyed looking at Nami's bright face slowly fade to a pale hue, "Supposedly, he was close to 'Red Shoes'. Worked for him a couple of times."

"You're kidding right?"

"About what?"

Grabbing his arms, she shook him gently, "You're about to come face to face with that…that, freak! Didn't you hear about the incident two years ago?"

"Yeah. So, what's your point?" he replied calmly, while shoving random coins in the slot.

"Come on! He cold bloodedly mutilated and **ate** a whole squad of the LPD's finest! Only one man survived!" her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were wide in fear in the truth of the words she spoke.

As the coffee began to pour into a plastic cup, Zoro said, "If you can't handle it, maybe you shouldn't be a police officer. Go and paint nails or something easy like that."

Furious, she stopped shaking his arms, and scowled at him in pure displeasure.

"I've worked hard to get where I am today! Sorry if I don't lack basic human emotion like you, but that doesn't mean you can insult me by telling me I should quit!" he could hear her cuss him under her breath, as she walked back to her desk, "_Bastard!_"

Shrugging his shoulders, knowing he'd be forgiven by the time he returned, he took the cup of coffee in his hands and took a sip of his well needed wake up call.

Strolling along the labyrinth of corridors, his eyes were caught by the piercing gaze that radiated from a photograph. Stopping, he took time to scowl at the portrait that grimaced down at him. On the day he became the greatest, he would merrily rip down this picture, and replace it with his own. Yes, that's where his legacy would be hung, on that very same spot on the wall.

It would be his name that was etched in the memory of many, instead of Dracule 'Hawk-Eye' Mihawk.

Although it had been at least five years since Hawk-Eye had retired, he was still considered as the best officer that there had ever been in the force.

Turning away from Hawk-Eye's haunting image, Zoro threw his empty paper cup in a trash can, before bursting through double doors to reach the outside world.

On hearing the metal door scraping open, he stood up, and waited eagerly for the warden to reach his cell. This was a special area he was in, where only he and three others were 'special' enough to be designated to. However, if anyone was coming to visit, it was always someone for him.

Heavy footsteps thundered down the passage, and came to a halt, unsurprisingly, in front of his cell.

"Hey you!" the warden stated, although it was blatantly obvious who he was addressing, since the person was looking straight at him, wearing a large and friendly grin, "You have a visitor coming, so you'd better behave, or there'll be no meat in dinners for a week!" The convict opened his mouth in protest, "And don't do none of that psychological bullshit either. Cops don't deal with your kind lightly. Remember that."

Shoving his face right up against the glass of his cage, he watched the warden stomp away down the walkway.

"Cool!" the boy-like man stated, "I haven't seen a cop in a couple of years! This'll be fun!"

Various thugs and lunatics banged the metal bars of their cells, as Zoro passed through the prison grounds. They detested any form of law enforcers, and he knew it. One even tried to spit on him.

"Try that again, and I'll throw you in death row, fucker!" the larger of the two guards threatened.

Not wanting to feel defeated, the prisoner called after them, "Fuck you asshole!"

This time, the comments were ignored, and the three men made their way to the top security level of the complex.

On reaching a double-locked door, the smaller guard spoke, "This is you. Just head down the stairs, and the warden will let you in."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Zoro watched the two guards synchronise their movements, as they turned the keys at the same time. The larger man used all his strength to shove the large, steel door open. Without another word, Zoro went through the door, which was shut almost instantly after he walked in.

The atmosphere was dark and oppressing, and Zoro almost felt at unease. Carefully stepping down the rutted staircase, Zoro removed his federal identification wallet to show the warden. On reaching the bottom, he passed his I.D. over to the stranger, who strained to examine it under the dim lights. Returning the wallet, the warden then unlocked the metal door, that lead on to the prison cells.

"He's the one right at the end there," the guard pointed down the darkened passage, "Careful he don't trick you or nothin'. He may not look it, but he's a clever one him."

"Right," Zoro said, his disbelief dripping from his voice.

Even though he tried not to, he couldn't help but stare at the convicts within their prisons.

The first, was curled up in a ball in the farthest corner, weeping. His face veiled in his unkempt facial hair.

Next, was a maniac, unhealthily skinny, knowing at the bars like a rabid animal. His eyes were filled with wickedness and pure evil.

Thirdly, to his astonishment, was a woman. Her green eyes were large and malicious, taking him all in.

"Hey sugar," she spoke in a voice smooth as honey, "Gonna help me outta here? I'll make it worth your while, baby."

Knowing fine and well that this woman must be a brutal murderer, he dragged his eyes from her pretty face, and didn't say a word.

Finally, he arrived at the final cell. It was different from any that he'd seen. Made from some sort of glass, with only a few breathing holes and a small inlet, possibly for food. Unlike the others, it was decorated, obviously to the inmate's taste. A couple of paintings, both beach landscapes. A straw hat sat perched on the corner of a small, rickety wooden chair.

There, waiting for him, stood a young man, bearing a massive smile on his face.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Monkey D. Luffy, but Luffy for short."

_I really have a passionate hate for this chapter. Definitely the worst one I've written so far. Since it stinks soooo bad, I shall give you the next chapter as a consolation. I'm sure you guys'll like the next one, it's one of my favourites, just cause I love writing the way Luffy and Zoro react to each other. Also, Sanji makes his first appearance, which I also loved writing. He's kewl! So, read on!…pleeeease? ;_


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Nice to meet you. I'm Monkey D. Luffy, but Luffy for short."

Not quite sure how to act towards a person like him, Zoro's movements suddenly became awkward and rigid. Thankfully, he found a seat was left for him at the wall opposite Luffy's cell.

As he sat down, Luffy's smile faded into a pout, "Why are you sitting so far away? Come, sit closer. I promise I won't bite."

Shuddering ever so slightly, Zoro shuffled his chair forwards, but so he was still a good distance away from Luffy.

"Closer," Luffy said in a teasing tone.

Feeling extremely uncomfortable at how laid back Luffy was, he edged forwards even further, leaving him a couple of paces away from the glass, just in case.

Sitting down cross-legged behind the glass, Luffy grinned up at the man on the other side.

"What's your name? You haven't told me yet."

Clearing his throat, Zoro replied, "DCI Roronoa Zoro. I'd like to ask…"

"Can I see your I.D.?"

Slightly annoyed, Zoro reached into the inner pocket of his jacket, and removed his I.D., and pressed it firmly against the glass.

Leaning forwards to get a closer look, Luffy's eye's brightened up, "COOL! I wish I had one of those! That's awesome!"

Replacing the wallet back in it's rightful place, he said, "Well, if you wouldn't mind…"

"What does DCI mean?" Luffy cut in, before Zoro could finish his sentence.

Rolling his eyes, he said, "It stands for Detective Chief Inspector."

"Oh!" Luffy cried in realisation, "You look a bit young to be so high up in the ranks. How old are you?"

"Look, I don't have time to…"

"Sure you do. So, how old are you?" Luffy cut his sentence short once again.

Deciding it best to keep the guy amused, Zoro answered, "I'm twenty one."

"Wow!" Luffy said in amazement, "You must be really good huh?"

A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, "You could say that. Now, let me speak to you for a couple of minutes, then we can chat all you want."

"Sure thing!" Luffy grinned.

"Right, I need to ask you a few questions about your old friend Zeff."

"Zeff?" for a couple of moments, Luffy racked his brain, trying to remember who he was, "Oh yeah! I remember, I did some work for him a couple of times, since I blew up a part of his restaurant, the Baratie…and grabbed a few snacks along the way."

"Blew up!" Zoro couldn't believe what he was hearing, "How did you manage that!"

"Well, when I was fifteen, I was the kinda kid that liked to play with things that went bang! So, when I was with my parents at Baratie, I accidentally brought one of my home made bombs with me. I thought it'd be a laugh to set it off in the toilets, so I did…but Zeff caught me, and made me work for him to pay for the damages. When my parents died, Zeff took me in for a year until I got on my feet, and I worked for him some more."

"How did your parents die?"

"I ate them!"

Leaping ten feet in the air, Zoro was beyond shocked, "What! You ATE your own PARENTS! How could you!"

Luffy began to laugh hysterically, "Bwahahahahahaha! I was just kidding! Geez, I say I ate someone, and people automatically believe me!"

Wiping the sweat drop from his brow, Zoro sighed, "Jesus! You shouldn't joke about things like that!"

"Why not?" asked a bemused Luffy, "It's funny! To answer your question though, my parents went missing. Nobody ever found them."

Trying to avoid the subject, as Zoro noticed the boys slight frown, he got back to the point, "Well, Zeff died recently," sadness filled the boy's eyes, "He supposedly died of a heart attack, but the police department have reason to believe that he was murdered. I'm trying to track down his stepson, Sanji. He might be able to let it slip how and who killed him, and I'd also like to get evidence on his drug circuit. Now, do you know anything that could help me?"

"I remember Sanji! We used to hang out a lot! After work that is. Zeff took him in when he was seven. He must be feeling really bad right now."

"I doubt it kid. He seems to be loving it, since he's inherited all of Zeff's wealth. Now, can you help me or not?"

"Hmmm?" the cogs in his head began to turn, plotting, planning, "No, I don't think I can."

"You can't or won't?" Zoro was pissed off with his attitude.

"Well, I might be able to help, but the problem is…"

"What's the problem?" He just wanted to get out of this dank place. His patience was running very thin.

"…the problem is, I can't do anything while I'm in here." Luffy tapped the glass suggestively.

"Hell no!" this was just great, now the kid was trying to bribe him, "You're a cannibal for fuck sake! How am I meant to trust you, never mind get others to trust you?"

"You'll figure something out, that is, if you want to crack this case that badly."

Kicking the chair from beneath himself, Zoro cursed, "Quit fucking me about Luffy! All you need to do, is tell me some things about Zeff, and that's it!"

Shaking his head, continually smiling, "Nope. Sorry, no can do."

Punching the wall behind him, Zoro placed his hot head onto the cool bricks, "…Fine. I'll see what I can do. But, if this goes through, you'll have to be supervised non-stop. And, once it's all done, you'll be back in prison, is that clear?"

"Yup, sure is!" Luffy stood up, and wiped the dust off his jeans, "Just one more condition though."

"What?" Zoro knew this probably wouldn't work, but even if it did, he couldn't keep asking his boss for more favours.

"It's been a dream of mine, to live by the sea," he went over to one of his paintings, and ran his finger down it longingly, "I know I'll be spending the rest of my life in prison, and I'm only nineteen. I've still got a long way to go. So, I'd like to be in a low security prison, with a window, that has a view of the sea. I wouldn't cause any ruckus, and I'm a man of my word. I'm sure a small request like that will be easy to get."

Softly smiling, feeling sympathy for Luffy, Zoro said, "I'll see what I can do, okay? I'll be back in a day or two. You'll be notified if you'll be leaving. So, I guess it's goodbye for now."

Picking up the chair and placing back against the wall, Zoro started for the exit.

Meanwhile, around two hundred miles from the imprisoned Luffy, his old friend was currently situated at a small pig farm.

Flashing a handful of paper money at the farmer, he asked the old man if he could feed his pigs what he liked to call 'a little something special'. More than willingly, the farmer snatched the money, and told the well dressed man to go ahead.

Motioning to his henchmen, they got the message, and went to get the pig's 'feast'.

Poking the frail farmer dressed in a chequered shirt and dungarees, he warned, "Don't go spilling any dirt on tonight. You ain't seen or even heard of me right?" nodding his head, the farmer shoved the cash hastily in a pocket, "Believe me when I tell you that if I hear you've been talkin', I won't hesitate to pay you a little visit, comprende?"

"Y-y-yes, sir! Of course sir. Won't say a word, not one!"

The farmer gasped, as the young gentleman reached for something in his pocket. He sighed with relief, as the man was only removing a cigarette and lighter.

Lighting his cigarette, Sanji inhaled deeply, before slowly exhaling the fumes onto the old man.

"And for god sake! Go buy yourself some decent clothes!" he threw some extra cash at the man, who only watched it in awe, as it floated down onto the hay, "Not even my stepfather would be seen dead in those slacks!"

Why the man laughed, was unbeknownst to the old farmer, but he thought it best not to ask.

Flicking the ash from the end of his cigarette, the young man left the barn, not wanting to stay in the old man's presence any longer.

On entering the den, his right-hand, Gin, asked, "How shall we go about this Sanji?"

Nudging the corpse at his feet, he replied, "I don't know. Just chuck the old geezer in I guess."

"Right you are. Hey Patty, give us a hand would ya?"

"Why do I have to do the dirty work eh?" rubbing the back of his head, Patty looked in disgust at the body bag.

"Because you get paid good money, that's why!" Sanji glared sinisterly at Patty, "Now get to it. This old geezer is wasting my time. Even in death, he's deadweight."

Chuckling to himself, Sanji took great pleasure in watching his stepfather being slid out of the body bag, and then thrown into the pig pen. Gin and Patty turned away, as the pigs began consuming Zeff's corpse. But Sanji watched intently, both disgusted and sickly fascinated by the way the pigs greedily ripped the old geezer's flesh from his limbs.

"He always did look like a pig's dinner," Sanji joked, taking in the mixed stench of pig's sweat and the rotting corpse. Two weeks is a long time for a body to lie untouched. After shooting the old geezer down, Sanji decided just to dump him in an abandoned warehouse for a while, until everything settled down.

"I think I'm gonna puke," Patty stormed out the den. He couldn't stand the smell or squelching noises for much longer. Now, he deeply regretted ever betraying his old boss. At least he never made him do the dirty work.

Gin could understand why Patty had left. Even he was getting light-headed by the whole situation. Then if he left, he'd look bad in front of Sanji. To keep this job, you needed to be ready for anything, even witnessing the demise of an infamous drug lord, no matter how foul it was.

Dropping the butt of his cigarette, Sanji crushed it into the hay with the heel of his shoe, "Patty's gotta learn a few things, or I'm gonna be forced to get rid of him. I can't afford to risk my business, just cause someone is weak or doubtful. Especially now. I'm glad I can count on you Gin."

"Course Sanji. You're the boss."

"That's right. Now that the old geezer is outta the picture, I can make a fortune," picking out yet another cigarette, he hung it from his lips and lit it up.

"You know those things'll kill ya?" Gin said in all seriousness.

"Not unless one of Zeff's men kills me first eh. He may have been an old bastard, but some people were actually fond of the geezer. God knows why," Gin noticed the lighter was still lit in Sanji's hand. In turn, Sanji noticed that Gin had taken note of this.

"I wanna make sure there's no evidence left," he explained, "So, I'm gonna burn the den down."

"But, what about the owner?" Gin referred to the farmer, "What if he…"

"He ain't gonna say a word," Sanji reassured, "I gave him more than enough money to rebuild this dump. We'd better go."

"Aye, aye!"

Crunching through the filthy hay, Sanji looked towards the pit where the pigs and his stepfather was, "Adios 'Red Shoes'. I'll see you in hell."

Carefree, Sanji let the lighter drop to the ground. The fire began to slowly spread throughout the den.

Gin was almost disturbed at the way the flames ominously danced in Sanji's eyes. He looked like a malevolent demon, as a wicked grin formed on his handsome face.

Sweeping his golden hair back, Sanji let out a sigh of satisfaction, before leading Gin back to the car.

"Quit vomiting and get driving Patty!" Sanji ordered, as he gave the sickened man a whack on the back.

Wiping his grimy mouth, Patty reluctantly jumped into the black Mercedes, and escorted his new boss back to the penthouse, which Sanji had also inherited from his stepfather.

"_Lucky bastard._" Patty said inwardly.

Quite content, Sanji broke out the champagne, and drank from his flute glass, as he watched the burning building fade into the distance.

_Evil Sanji is gooood! He makes the perfect villain, no? Once again, I'm sorry for the previous chapter, which stunk worse than dead rats (eww, that's bad). However, it was necessary as a link between this chapter and the prior ones. I'm sure that other writers will know exactly what I mean._

_Next chapter, Zoro's got a lotta propositioning to handle, poor guy. And Luffy has some fun with chalk. Need I say more!_

_Well, as Sanji said earlier, 'Adios!' _

_R&R_


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Mustering up some courage, Zoro rapped against his superior's door.

"Come in!" the voice of his chief boomed.

Taking a deep breath, Zoro opened the door, to find A.A. Morgan with his secretary. No doubt flirting with the poor girl again.

"Ah, if it ain't my best officer, Zoro," Morgan removed his hand from his secretary's, "What business do you have?"

"If you could spare me a few moments, I'd like to talk to you, alone."

Zoro's gaze fell on the put upon secretary. Following Zoro's eyes, Morgan nodded, "You can leave now."

With a gratified smile towards Zoro, the petite secretary left the room, closing the door firmly behind her.

Waiting for him to speak, Morgan asked, "So, what is it?"

"It's about the case you gave me." Zoro felt guilty, like a kid who was asking for an expensive toy.

"Yes, what about it?" Morgan did not like the tone of Zoro's voice.

"I interrogated one of the contacts you left in the file, and I need him out of jail to help me."

"Bwahahahahaha! You're a funny guy Zoro."

"But sir, I'm being serious."

The amusement he had felt for a brief moment, turned into anger, "Who, exactly, am I meant to be freeing into the world, pray tell?"

Fully aware of the outburst that would ensue, Zoro sighed, "Monkey D. Luffy."

"WHAT!" he was completely outraged, "You expect me to let that fucker out! Do you have any idea how long it took to arrest him in the first place!"

Avoiding his captain's furious stare, Zoro fixed his eyes on a shiny part of the floor, "Yes, I am aware of what he is capable of."

"I don't think you are," heaving his right arm up onto the desk, knocking and crushing various items, he said, "Do you know how I got this?" Morgan gestured to his axe-arm, and Zoro shook his head, "I thought not. Hardly anyone knows this, but that little fucker Luffy ate what used to be my arm, right off! Luckily for me, I was saved by one of the men from the back-up team, who shot the git with a tranquilliser, putting him to sleep before he could gobble up the rest of me! You expect me to let him go, after he did this to me!"

"But sir!" Zoro yelled, "I investigated all the contacts, and he's the only one who can help! Please, he'll obviously be put back in prison after this is all finished. I'll take full responsibility for anything that happens."

While Morgan silently pondered this for a while, the silence made Zoro feel unsettled.

After what seemed like forever, Morgan said, "…You have one month. And if you don't get results, you'll have to hand over your badge. Are you sure you still want to go through with this?"

Inside, Zoro's common sense was screaming at him not to do it, but his conscious said otherwise. He had made a promise, and to fulfil that promise, great risks would need to be taken along the way.

"Aye sir. I will keep Luffy with me at all times, and if he makes a wrong move, I'll shoot him myself."

Smirking, Morgan said, "It's settled then. I'll phone PVC and make them aware of the situation. You're lucky I'm agreeing to this Zoro."

"I know," remembering something Luffy had said, he added, "Just one more thing."

"What is it this time?" Morgan wasn't in the best of moods now.

"Luffy won't go through with this, unless he is allowed to transfer to a prison, that he has a view of the sea. Please sir, he's only young, and nobody deserves to live in the confines that he does. He doesn't even have a view of the sky!"

"You're really pushing it this time," Zoro crossed his fingers behind his back, "However, I know of the perfect place to send him. Just, go now before I change my mind."

"Thank you Captain! I won't let you down, I swear," he would have leapt into the air, if it wasn't for the fact he had to retain formality.

Handing his customer a one kilogram of 'magic dust', Sanji said, "Thanks again. I owe you one."

"Think nothing of it." the dark haired man said, as he accepted his purchase.

"I thought the cops might be onto me. It's almost comforting to know for sure."

After examining his goods, he thrust it into his suitcase, and locked it with a special key, "My advice, would be to trust no one. Not even people who you consider as allies."

"Of course, of course," Sanji gave the man a slap on the back, "The only man that I trust, is myself. I am looking forward to dealing with you again."

As they reached the fellow's red Jaguar convertible, Sanji made a wolf whistle, "Nice wheels! Drive well, does it?"

"Wasn't named after a wild cat for nothing," the man smirked, "I have another in black back at my place."

Adjusting his sunglasses, Sanji said, "Good man. I'll be seeing you soon I hope. Until next time amigo."

Revving up the engine, the man waved to Sanji, before racing away onto the main road.

Chalk could be quite entertaining, as Luffy had learnt over his two years in prison. Time didn't exactly fly by in a place like this, so he had to make the best of what he had.

Today, he had been drawing the man that he had met the previous day.

DCI Roronoa Zoro.

"What a cool name!" Luffy thought out loud, "Wish I had a name like that."

It was clear to even him that he was no artist, but at least **he** could tell what he was drawing.

Take for example, those sharp and wild zigzags, they were clearly the man's peppermint hair. Three sticks protruding from a badly drawn circle, that was his ear, with those three gold earrings that dangled from it. Yet another of Zoro's traits which Luffy was extra fond of. A cylinder-esque shape, which was supposed to be the cop's neck, which was joined to a handsome jaw line. Last but not least, came the man's torso. Luffy had decided to leave Zoro shirtless, and did his utmost to do, what probably would lie under that useless coat of his, some justice. Ruffling his nose, Luffy was slightly upset that he made the muscles too big. But then again, he thought, the more meat the better.

On the verge of drooling over his pathetic doodle, he heard the warden thudding towards to him.

Frantically, he tried to rub out the chalk drawing with his hands. He didn't want anyone else to see it. It was for his eyes only.

To his relief, he was able to get rid of any evidence that it ever existed. Going up to the glass of his cage, he awaited the arrival of the temperamental warden.

"Hey, I have some bad news."

A glum expression hit Luffy's face. Knowing that the news would inevitably be from Zoro, he assumed that the cop had not been able to persuade someone to let him out.

"Tomorrow at three, that guy who came to see you the other day, will pick you up," suddenly, Luffy's face lit up, like the sun rises in the east after nightfall, "So, I guess you should pack what little belongings you have. Heard you ain't gonna be coming back here, so, it'll be best to take your things with you."

Was that a hint of sorrow in the wardens voice? It's the kind of emotion that can't be mistaken. Glad that he had been able to touch a chord in this usually thick-skinned man somewhat, Luffy felt a sense of victory within his gut. He felt a type of adrenaline rush whenever he had successfully manipulated someone.

Talking of his gut though, it was feeling rather vacant at this moment in time.

"Before you go, could you get me some food. I'm starving!" Luffy was unsettled by the way his stomach growled in hunger, "Pretty please?"

How predictable. Almost letting a smile slip, the warden shook his head, and knew he wouldn't hear the end of it, if he didn't feed the insatiable boy.

"But Zoro!" Nami protested, "The guys a killer! How can you be so sure that he won't turn against you!"

Skimming through some background info that Nami had found on Sanji, Zoro retorted, "The thing is I don't know Nami. My gut instincts tell me that I can trust him."

"Once he's done with you, you won't have a gut!" she was beyond perplexed about the whole thing. Zoro was just about to let a mad man into his home, never mind the police station, "My honest opinion is that I think you should reconsider your options here. I'm sure you can find someone safer to work with."

"There is no one else who knew Zeff better than Luffy. He was even close to Sanji at one point. I admit he may not be the ideal guy for the job, but I really think that I can get this case closed if he's helping me."

Nami wasn't at all happy with any of this. Yeah, Zoro had the right to put his own life at risk. But what about the rest of the department? What about her! The last way she wanted to die, was to be eaten alive by some maniac!

"Now, you're either with me or not," he didn't want her to hold him back if she was uncertain, but knew that he could do with her help, "I would prefer you to work on this case with me, but you can't just turn your back on me if you change your mind."

"I don't know Zoro," Nami pretended to go back to work on her computer, trying to give the DCI a hint.

Thinking fast on his feet, Zoro remembered Nami's weak point. The one thing she couldn't resist…

"Did you look at Sanji's file? If you did, you will have noticed that Sanji is a multi-millionaire, with a very nice penthouse located near an exotic beach. I'm sure if you got in his good books, you could squeeze out a couple of outfits to add to your collection."

…wealth…

He knew that he had her hooked as soon as he uttered 'multi-millionaire'. Everything else was just an added bonus in Nami's book.

Unable to contain himself, Zoro smirked, as Nami's eyes flew up from her computer screen, and straight to him.

"Count me in!" Nami said with great gusto.

_There's another chapter to fill your reading needs. Though I'm sure it won't satisfy you, I'm only posting the one chapter this time. I want to space out my updates more, so I get a chance to see everyone's reviews and stuff._

_I just finished writing chapter 12 yesterday, so I am very happy. This story has been on the go for I think about a year, being posted up on adultfanfic, but I kept getting writers block. I've always known how it was going to climax, but I've been lost as to how to get there without faffing about too much. Lucky for me, I had quite the epiphany yesterday too. Now, I know what I'm going to write (mostly) and hopefully manage to finish my story soon – yay!_

_Next chapter, Luffy being Luffy, needs to be fed, so Zoro's gonna take him out for a meal. It's not gonna be pretty – hee hee! Thanx to anyone who's bothered reading my story, and keep reading (that's if you aren't already fast asleep.)_

_Also, I'd like to do a survey of sorts. Kinda random, but I'm interested. What I'd like to know, is who's everyone's favourite One Piece character. If you can't guess from my writing, Zoro's my fave, cause I love swords and he's got three of 'em. I love how he interacts with Sanji in the manga/anime, his hair is pretty cool…and he's kinda attractive, always a plus…sorry to any male readers if there are any, you must get sick of fangirls vowing their undying love for the manga guys. Sadly, I am one of those fangirls, cause when you catch manga fever, it stays with you for life. It's like the plague!_


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

On taking his first step outside the prison in over two years, Luffy shaded his eyes from the piercing rays of the sun.

The air was cool and refreshing. A vast difference from the stingy muggy air he'd had to deal with for so long. He hadn't felt this good since he last had some decent meat, which was a very long time ago.

Revitalised and full of zeal, Luffy skipped along side Zoro, who was currently cuffed to the criminal's wrist.

"Would you quit that? You're making the cuffs scrape my wrist."

Stopping instantly, Luffy apologised, "Oops! Sorry. It's just, I feel soooo good! You could always skip alongside me," he suggested, "I'm sure you'll have fun!"

"No thanks," Zoro groaned. There was no way that a man like him could 'skip'. If anyone he knew saw him doing that, he'd never get any respect.

Pacing at his side, Luffy lifted his cuffed wrist, ignoring the fact that Zoro was also attached.

"What's this for?"

"It's to make sure that you can't run off and eat someone. I have to keep you under strict supervision."

"But," Luffy began to think, "I could easily knock you out, eat your arm off and run for it! Didn't you think of that?"

Yanking both their wrists back to waist length, Zoro counted to ten before speaking, "No, that hadn't crossed my mind Luffy. But, if you do anything to threaten my life or the life of others, I have the right to kill you on the spot."

"COOL!" Zoro looked bewilderedly at the shorter man. How could someone think that the possibility that they could be killed as 'cool'? "I'd better behave then. Wouldn't want to go and throw my life away now would I?"

It puzzled Zoro, how this guy could change his tone and mood with great ease. Thinking about it, caused him to worry slightly.

"No you wouldn't. Now, give me a sec," taking out a near microscopic key, Zoro used the miniscule tool to unlock the handcuffs, "Get in the vehicle…and don't touch anything!"

"Sure thing," Luffy bent down and sat in the front passenger seat.

Luffy watched Zoro, as he got in the other side, and shoved a key in the ignition.

Resting his hands on the wheel and sighing deeply, Zoro turned to face Luffy, "Let's get a few things straight here," the young man looked towards Zoro with great interest, "This is not a game. I have one month for you to help me, and once it's over, you're going straight to prison. You will do what I say, when I say it. The most important thing though, is that you will NOT attempt to eat me or anyone else. Do you understand?"

"Yup!" Luffy nodded.

"Good," turning on the engine, Zoro made his way out of the compound, "I don't know about you," he flicked on the right indicator, "but I'm hungry, so lets go get a bite to eat. What do you say?"

"Yay! Are you a mind reader? Cause I swear, I was just thinking the same thing?" shaking his head, Zoro began to laugh, "What? I'm being serious! Is it a trick you learn when you become a cop or something?"

Stopping at a set of red lights, Zoro quickly glanced at his petrol gauge, which was currently half full.

"Just because you happen to be hungry at the same time as me, doesn't make me a mind reader Luffy."

"Oh!"

Pondering on what sort of food he would have, Luffy looked at the policeman out of the corner of his eye.

Now sitting there, was one tasty looking man.

Today, he wasn't wearing that puffy federal jacket. This meant there was more flesh visible, but, for some strange reason, he didn't feel the need to eat the guy. Anyway, he was about to feed him, and he wouldn't miss out on an opportunity for a nice, hot meal. Meat or not, he was dying for some decent grub…although some meat would be nice…

Nami was met with an unpleasant smell, as she hopped out of her car. Also, the marshy ground was ruining her shoes. These shoes in particular, were considerably expensive. Maybe she should have went with her first instincts, to take the comfy pair of trainers. Of course, wanting to retain her position as most fashionable babe on the force, she decided to wear the nicer looking shoes. Sometimes, this being one of those times, she wished she wasn't so fashion conscious.

Wading through the mushy mud, Nami gradually made it to the barn. Or at least, what was left of it.

Using all her strength, she pushed a large plank of wood out of the road. Squeezing through the small gap she had made, she clambered into the inside of the partially decimated building. Right now, she wished she had dragged someone along with her to give her a hand. It was quite big for a farm building.

From what she had been told, this place used to be a pig den. Although, the rotten stench that could only be related to pigs was a big enough clue.

Before rummaging through anything and searching more in depth, she slipped on a pair of gloves.

The owner had told the police that he had no idea who had done it, but since this place was located in an isolated area, the police got a search warrant. There wasn't even a town or village in a ten mile radius, so wasn't like some young thugs had decided to wreck the place. No, this was planned.

In the police departments opinion, it is better to be safe than to be sorry. The only thing Nami was sorry about was that her precious shoes were being further ruined with every step she took.

Sifting impatiently through a hay stack, Nami searched for anything at all suspicious. But nothing.

After searching through a few more things, Nami found herself peering down into what was the pig pit.

"Ewwwwwww! That is too gross!" a number of pig remains were lying at the bottom, "I can't believe I'm doing this!"

Grabbing the grimy rails, she climbed down the steel ladder little by little. Missing her footing, she fell from half way down the ladder.

The impact hadn't been as bad as she had half expected.

"Thank god this hay gave me a soft landing," patting her landing cushion, her eyes went blank, as she re-patted it. Looking around, she found that she had been dead wrong, when she said it was hay that she'd landed on.

Her screams filled the air, as she found it was actually one of the deceased pigs that she'd landed on.

After a few minutes of deep breathing, Nami searched the pit, avoiding the pigs unless necessary.

"I'm gonna need a psychiatrist after this," she huffed, as she unwillingly did her job.

A glimmer of something caught her eye, as she rummaged through a certain part of hay.

Picking it out, and cleaning away the muck, she held within her hand an impressive, gold ring. It must have been a man's, since it was such a large size and had a very masculine design. Also, Nami being Nami, was positive that no sane woman would be seen dead wearing a ring like it. Two fish and a dagger were engraved in the gold. The ring would have cost more than a penny or two. The owner must have been filthy rich to own something so fancy.

She placed it in a special bag, so she could take it for further examination. This was all she evidence she required to get forensics in.

Thank god, she could leave this filthy hole.

Waltzing up to the booth where two new customers sat, the jolly, large waitress whipped out her order book, and the pen which sat waiting behind her ear.

"What can I get you two sirs?"

"Hmmmm?" the green-haired one mused, scratching the back of his head as he examined the menu, "Can I get a hamburger and fries."

"Yes sir. How about you sir?" she asked the other fellow, who had been staring at her in an unsettling manner.

"I'd like to order five large steaks," looking at the black haired boy in amazement, she jotted down the order, "Oh, oh! And can you make them bloody, extra bloody please?"

The mint-haired man shot the bright-eyed man a warning glare.

"Ergh," she noted the extra request, "Sure, yeah…um…are you going to have anything to drink?"

"Yeah, I'd like a beer." the first man said.

"I'll have a chocolate shake please."

"Okay," the podgy waitress enthusiastically said, "You're order will be with you soon."

"Thank you lady," she could feel the eyes of the younger man burning through her. She had never felt so insecure in her life.

"Luffy!" Zoro whacked the back of his head, "Stop staring at the waitress like that!"

"Like what?" Luffy asked, as he massaged the ache that was recently inflicted upon him.

"Like you…"

"Like what?" he repeated.

"Like you wanna take a chomp out of her! I'm sure she doesn't appreciate it."

Zoro had never expected to tell someone off for wanting to eat another person. Of course, he hadn't expected to do a lot of things in his life.

Crossing his arms and huffing, Luffy whined, "Geez! Just because I'm looking at her, doesn't necessarily mean I wanna eat her."

Unconvinced, the cop retorted, "You're not looking at her because of her 'heart-stopping' looks now are you?"

"……" pouting, he eventually answered, "Okay, so what if I am? It doesn't mean I'm actually gonna do it. You can't arrest me for looking."

"I guess not," Zoro ended, not wanting the argument to go any further.

There was a long silence, but it wasn't an uncomfortable one, even in these peculiar circumstances.

Fed up with the quiet, Luffy said, "You shouldn't be having a beer, since you're driving."

Raising his head from the table, where he had been taking a short rest, Zoro replied, "One beer's fine. Anyway, I'm a cop."

"Isn't that more reason for you not to drink? Setting a good example to others and all that?"

"Stop being a smart ass! It's really annoying."

"You know I'm right, and you hate it, don't you?" he teased.

Zoro was about to punch him square in the face, when the waitress appeared at the table with their order.

"A hamburger, fries and a beer for you," she place the goods down in front of Zoro, "And, ugh, five extra bloody steaks, ugh, and a shake." Zoro assisted the waitress, who was struggling with the five large plates and long-glass, "Thank you sir. Please, enjoy your meal."

Getting away from them as quickly as possible, the waitress rushed back behind the counter, where the younger man's prying eyes could not watch her.

"MEAT!" Luffy cried with glee, which gained various looks from the other customers.

As Zoro was about to take a bite out of his hamburger, he came to a sudden halt as Luffy began to shovel in one of the five steaks. It was a sight to behold, but not one that Zoro wished to experience at this moment in time.

Savouring each bite, Luffy happily dug into his meaty feast. With the extra blood to top it all off, it was almost as tasty as human meat…except, human blood tasted slightly different, and left the back of the throat nice and warm.

After stomaching the sight before his eyes, Zoro lifted the burger to his hungry lips once again. Unfortunately for him, as his teeth nipped the seeded bun, he felt a small flood of meat hit his face.

Not expecting the blood to squirt out from his meat like that, Luffy was caught off guard, and so, began to laugh.

With a bloody grin, Luffy chuckled, "Sorry Zoro."

Now rather pissed off, and disgusted, Zoro slapped the burger down on the plate, and reached for a napkin.

Shrugging his shoulders, Luffy then continued to munch into his meat. Man, it tasted good! Since the meat was slightly tough, he had to rip it off. This didn't bother him at all, he actually loved eat his meat like this.

After demolishing his five steaks, Luffy's eyes wondered over to Zoro, who was currently crossing his arms, and had his eyes closed.

"Hey Zoro?" opening one eye, Zoro let out a grunt, "Are you gonna eat that?"

Knowing he meant the burger and fries, he responded, "Go ahead. I'm not hungry anymore, thanks."

Rubbing his palms, Luffy licked his chops in a cheeky manner and then delved into the food. Not at all keen on the green, leafy stuff and the seedy, red circular slices, he threw them onto the side of the plate, before returning to the meat.

In desperate need of something to fill the empty void in his stomach, Zoro sat up and snatched the glass of beer from the table. Also, he needed something to distract him from the disgusting noises Luffy made as he devoured his meal.

_3 excruciating minutes later…_

Rubbing his full belly, Luffy happily sighed, "Phew! I almost thought I couldn't manage all that tasty food! But hey! I did!"

Double-taking the following incident, Luffy slurped his choc-shake in one humongous gulp. This was also followed by a satisfied sigh.

Grabbing his wallet, Zoro pulled out some notes and set them on the table, "Lets go Luffy. You shouldn't be in the public eye for too long, just in case someone recognises you."

"Whatever," Luffy leapt up, then took one of Zoro's hands.

Looking down and back up again, the confused cop asked, "Eh, Luffy? What do you think you're doing?"

Replying to Zoro as if the man was absolutely naive, Luffy said, "You didn't bring the cuffs, so I figured that you'd have to hold my hand instead."

Utterly embarrassed, Zoro couldn't help noticing all the stares they were receiving, "That's not necessary," he jerked his hand back, then wiped it against his trouser leg, as if Luffy's hand was infested with germs, "Lets just get out of here."

Slightly disheartened, Luffy followed Zoro's lead and didn't bother speaking to him at all. Not even on the drive home back to his place. Somehow, the man's actions, made his heart sink. A feat that only a few had managed to do to Luffy.

The forensic scientist scanned the rows of messy desks for a cop in particular. Considering this cop was a woman, she had thought the task wouldn't be that difficult. However, she was proved wrong as she searched the masses of desks. Eventually, she arrived at what must have been the tidiest desk there had ever been.

"DI Nami I presume?" the raven haired woman asked.

Putting down her mug of coffee, Nami turned to face her addresser, "Yeah that's me. What's up?"

Picking out a small plastic bag, the woman replied, "It's about that farm that you were sent to search. I'm Robin, from forensics, and my team that you sent out for found a couple more things which you may be interested to hear."

"So, spit it out," Nami had been itching for something good to come her way. Anything that would give her brownie points with the captain, and get her a job promotion, which would mean a larger pay check.

"We have hard evidence, that this ring, and also this finger nail…" Nami winced as another plastic bag was produced with a mouldy nail inside, "…amongst other things, used to belong to no other than 'Red Shoes' Zeff."

Jolting up from her desk, Nami cried, "WHAT!"

_Silly Sanji should've been more careful. Will strong evidence be found to link him to Zeff's death? Keep reading and find out! Is there a chance that Luffy will abandon his unsavoury habit of devouring human meat to be with Zoro?_

_Luffy: Someone say meat?_

_Author: Oh well, perhaps not…but only time will tell._

_Luffy: Meeeeeeeat! Gimme!_

_Author: (throws him random dudes limb) Fine, just take it and leave._

_Luffy: (hugs rdl) Yay! (runs off)_

Author: (shudders) I hate it when I have to do that. I can't stand going down the meat ailse at the supermarket never mind feed him some body parts – eww. But alas, he has an insatiable hunger.

Thanx to the following folk who've taken time to review my story:

animelover6000

PaperAce

One of Broken

FreakofImagination

victoria

PeachFuz

All of them are treasured by me, almost as much as I treasure my new Squall action figure...almost - hee!


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Luffy burst through the door, as soon as Zoro had unlocked it.

"Your home!" Luffy stated gleefully. It had so much character, from the coffee stain on the cream carpet to the shirt draping from a skewed lampshade. "I like it!"

"That's nice," Zoro tossed his jacket onto an armchair and his car keys in a bowl of random items. Luffy remained standing at the door, arms crossed over his chest, and nodding as he took everything in.

"Hey Zoro," the raven-haired male hollered, "Where's the toilet. I really need to go!" Groping the crotch of his trousers, he switched from foot to foot, eagerly awaiting his answer.

"The room to your right." replied Zoro, slightly perturbed by the spectacle before him.

"Thanks," Luffy raced to the bathroom, faster than any person that Zoro had ever seen. But then again, he hadn't ever met someone like Luffy.

Going into the kitchen, Zoro's face lit up as the fridge light switched on. Rummaging through various packets of food that he had never found the time or patience to make, he reached to the very back and grabbed a bottle of beer. With finesse, he popped the cap open using only the side counter. Even though he'd already had a drink, Zoro felt like he'd regret not having another later on.

Slamming over the fridge door, Zoro entered the lounge to find his detainee sitting like a pretzel on the floor. His wide eyes glinted as the light hit them. Taking a final chug from his beer, he placed it carelessly on a small cabinet, knocking over various trinkets in the process.

"Tomorrow," Zoro slurred, "You are going to contact Sanji and arrange for us to meet him. But for now, we're going to sleep. I'm tired."

As Zoro shuffled into what must have been the bedroom, Luffy willingly followed, guessing that he would have to go too.

By the time he reached the room, Zoro was already fast asleep. Pacing inaudibly to the other side of the bed, Luffy lay down to face the sound cop. In a strange way, the guy actually looked cute, with his mouth hanging open and deep snores emitting from his maw. Smoothing a finger along the man's chin, Luffy gathered the saliva trail onto his fingertip. Sniffing it, he then put his finger in his mouth, and sucked the dribble from it. Drawing it back, he smacked his chops disdainfully, not at all sure whether he liked the flavour or not. He then figured, that it would taste better with some flesh. Everything tasted better with a bit of skin along with it.

Settling down onto the pillow, he rested an arm over Zoro's waist, but gentle enough not to wake him. Positive that he wouldn't wake, Luffy shut his eyes, and dreamed of what the next day would bring.

Barely able to open his heavy lids, Zoro was stirred by an alarm sounding by his ear. Something slid across his belly, and created a shadow over his face. Smashing his alarm clock, he looked to his left to see Luffy stretching his arms in the air, and yawning like there was no tomorrow. He figured that the guy's arm must have slipped around him by accident. That sort of thing had happened to him before. But…wait a minute…WHAT THE HELL!

Sitting quickly upright, Zoro had to take a double take of Luffy. Why was he here in the same bed as him!

"Eh, Luffy?"

"Yup," Luffy said through yet another yawn.

"Why are you here?"

"Because you brought me here silly," Luffy slouched across the bed, his face just a little away from Zoro's crotch.

Swinging his legs to suspend over the edge of the bed, Zoro put his head in his hands, "What do you mean 'I brought you here'?"

Scurrying to sit at Zoro's side Luffy leaned against his elbows and sent him a gleaming smile, "You said you were tired, so we came in here and slept together."

"How could I do that? I mean, I didn't drink **that** much. Just a couple of bottles, the usual. I shouldn't have, fuck!"

"Why are you so angry? Everyone needs to catch some sleep sometimes," Zoro turned his head to face Luffy, "Nothing to get your panties twisted about."

"You mean, that when you said that we slept together, we **just** fell asleep.?" Zoro prayed that nothing had happened the previous night. The migraine that he had woken up with was blurring his memory of the previous night.

"Well yeah. That's what sleeping together is right?" Luffy asked innocently.

Smirking Zoro threw his arms to his sides and steered himself to a standing position, "Thank **god** for that!" Luffy looked up at Zoro with a puzzled expression, "You can go get yourself something to eat and drink if you want, while I go for a shower."

"Yay! FOOD!" Luffy cheered, and barged pass Zoro, almost knocking him over.

With an amused grunt, Zoro went to the bathroom to get a well needed shower. He just prayed that Luffy wouldn't eat his whole food supply while he was gone.

"Aha!" he had came across a rather large piece of chicken leg in the fridge, which looked rather tempting. Snatching it out, he tore away the wrapping, threw it to the side and then took a large chunk out of the raw birds appendage, "glarf This is gooooood meat! shlurp" his mouth churned the bird into smaller pieces, then swallowed them when they were swallowable.

Once finished with the meat, Luffy looked around for something to wash it down with. There was a bit of bone poking at his throat, which had been too stubborn to be swallowed down. On one of the counters, there was a dark red liquid. It looked like blood, so it had to be tasty.

Scampering to it, he hastily unwound the screw top and took a large swig. As soon as it had entered his mouth, he spat it out into the sink.

"Plah pah hack" wiping his mouth, he put the bottle top back on, and looked at the liquid in awe, "What the hell was that! That was disgusting!"

"You're meant to dilute that with water you know," the green haired man stood in the door way, ruffling his tresses with a grey towel, "It's blackcurrant juice."

Almost salivating, Luffy examined the man in front of him, wearing only a towel around his waist. Those muscles on his chest and arms were…were…were…

"Hey Luffy!" Zoro snapped, as if he had been calling his name forever, "You ready for today?"

Looking himself up and down, he then patted his chest and replied, "Yep. Sure am."

"Don't you want something fresh to wear?" Zoro noticed that he was still wearing the red top and blue denims that he had been wearing the previous day.

"I'm fine with this. It's what I always wear." Luffy admitted.

It was a mystery how the guy didn't wreak then, Zoro thought.

"I'm just gonna get changed, so I won't be long," he threw the towel he was drying his hair with in some sort of basket, "If you're done in here, feel free to wait in the living room."

Stepping away, Zoro left a stunned boy in his wake. Luffy felt a terrible pang for **real** meat again. That policeman was just asking for it! But, he had to restrain himself…for now…

Sitting in his usual pose, Luffy waited impatiently for Zoro to come out of the bedroom. He could see through the crack left by the door, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, there he was, searching through some drawers for something. The wonderful thing was, that he hadn't even put on one piece of clothing. Luffy was once again drooling insanely, whilst he stared at Zoro's bare behind. It was the kind of arse that was well sculpted and firm. Very appealing. His well defined back muscles were exceptionally alluring.

He was immersed in the way Zoro slid his boxers up his thighs and hugged his butt as it clung. Then, how he hoisted up a pair of black trousers and fumbled with the belt, wrenching it roughly as he tightened it around his waist. Sliding on a white shirt, then loosely putting on his black tie.

As the cop turned around, Luffy swiftly dragged his lingering eyes away, pretending to be engrossed by the coffee table situated in the centre of the room.

With a chink of keys, Luffy knew it was safe to look again.

"Let's go then," said Zoro, whilst swirling the keys around his index finger.

Chuckling to himself, Luffy tagged along, thankful that the cop was completely oblivious to what he had only moments ago witnessed.

Twirling her glasses on one of it's legs, Nami awaited Zoro's arrival. He was late…again! Ever since he had been assigned the Zeff case, he had been late every single day. And to think, she had arrived five minutes earlier than usual to show him her big find. She should have chosen to stay in bed five minutes more than to get up and race to work. Why did she even bother?

Bobbing up and down behind a notice board, was the familiar pistachio green hair. Glowering at him, she was too annoyed to notice the young man walking behind him.

"Well it's about time you showed up!" taking note of the fellow standing behind him, she decided to taunt him even further, "Been too busy with your boyfriend back there?"

Zoro flustered slightly, and retorted with a solemn voice, "Ergh no. This is Luffy, you know," he bent down and whispered in Nami's ear, "the cannibal…"

The female cop looked up at her co-worker in disbelief. Her gaze then shifted to Luffy, who was now sitting on her desk and playing with the random things on it.

"Could I have a word with you in private for a moment Zoro?"

"Sure thing."

Dragging him towards the coffee dispenser, Nami began to rant at Zoro.

"What the hell are you doing bringing in violent criminals into the workplace?"

His eyebrow twitched slightly, before he said, "We bring criminals in here all the time Nami. It's our job, remember?"

Punching him harshly in the arm, she fumed, "Don't mock me asshole! You know what I mean. It's all fine and well for you to let him stay in your home, but risking the lives of fellow officers with a guy like **that**…" she pointed over at the raven-haired boy, who was still rattling things about on her desk, "…is not very clever now is it?"

Grabbing her wrists, Zoro grumbled, "Look Nami. Luffy isn't all that bad. And if you can't deal with him, you can quit working on this case. Right now, he's our only hope for cracking this case Nami. I don't need a liability like you. So, what will it be? Treat the guy with a shred of dignity and help me out, or are you gonna go running home and leave me hanging dry?"

Pondering for a brief moment, she replied, "Fine. But he's straight out of here if he tries anything funny."

"Whatever."

When they arrived back at Nami's desk, the red-head shoved the boy from her desk and removed some things from a drawer. Scattering the items neatly across the desktop, she picked up a clear bag.

"This," she shook the bag around, "Is a ring which belonged to no other than 'Red Shoes'."

Luffy shot a confused look over to Zoro, "She's talking about Zeff, Luffy."

"Oh right! I get it now." he declared.

Rolling her eyes, Nami continued, "I found it at a pig farm which I was sent to investigate, after a fire was instigated there. The forensics team dug up a lot of other stuff too. Like this fingernail here." She lifted another bag into the air, this time with the nail in question inside, "They too all belonged to Zeff. But something else was found." Removing a separate bag from yet another drawer, she placed it on the desk in front of Zoro. It appeared to be empty, "Inside this, there's a strand of hair. Now, it happens to belong to Zeff's stepson."

"Sanji!" Luffy cried, causing the others about them to stop and stare for a moment, before turning their faces back to their computer screens, "But why would he have been there? It makes no sense."

"Sorry Luffy, but we had suspicions all along that Sanji had murdered Zeff himself." Zoro placed a comforting hand on Luffy's shoulder.

"But, Sanji admired Zeff so much. How could he? I mean, he was like a father to him."

"Looks like your friend Sanji didn't like his stepfather as much as he claimed he did," Nami said unsympathetically.

"At least we now have a lead on Sanji. But, it's not enough to get him locked up. And we shouldn't bring him in for questioning. That won't get us anywhere, and then he'll know we're onto him. He's gonna start covering his tracks better."

"You're right Zoro," the girl concurred, "What are we going to do then?"

"I have a plan," Zoro stated, "Luffy's gonna be a major part in it. It's gonna be extremely risky, but if all goes smoothly, we'll bust that bastards ass, and then it's case closed. So listen up, you too Luffy," the black-haired boy looked pensively into Zoro's eyes, "I'm only going to go over this once, so, listen carefully…"

_I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who's reviewed so far. I love writing for the fun of it, but it's even better when you hear that someone out there enjoys reading it too. Makes all unhappy thoughts and insecurities seem less important, so thank you!_

_Speaking of insecurities, something happened to me last Friday night. Although I'm a year too young to be going out drinking, I went out with some others to celebrate my sis and her friend's birthdays which were in the same week(I'm such a naughty girl). I thought I'd really hate it, but I had such a good time. I felt very confident and I smiled just about the whole night (people who know me would be shocked – I never usually smile in public). I honestly feel like I've changed, as if I'm a new person. So, yay! I ain't been happy for a huge chunk of my life, so I'm lovin' the change. I hope it lasts, and I hope that anyone else out there who feels like shit can find their own happiness, you all deserve it._

_Sorry for the more personal author's note (like you wanna hear about my crap! More yaoi godammit!). Well, only one person has told me who's their fave character, which happens to be a tie between Zoro and Luffy, the rest of you are baaaaaaad peoples – just kidding! – hee._

_Love and yaoi folks!_


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

His tongue slid along the length of the paper, before he wrapped up the tobacco with perfection. He himself had to admit, that he was getting far too good at it. But then again, being too good was what he lived for.

Sanji soaked up the sun on his recliner beside the pool, it's waters swaying to the motions of the wind. Placing the cigarette in his mouth, he picked up his Zippo lighter from the side table and inhaled as he set the end of the fag alight.

On exhaling his first drag, one of his lackeys, who he hadn't cared to remember the name of, interrupted what he liked to call 'his time'.

"Err, Sanji sir?" the middle-aged man drew his bosses attention, and felt uneasy at the look he was greeted with.

"For fuck sake…you…whoever you are, what the fuck are you doing disturbing me? For your sake it better be good."

Gulping, the intimidated servant explained, "M-my apologies sir. It's just that, Ghin is on the phone. He said that it's important."

With an unsteady hand, the man handed Sanji a wireless phone. Zeff's successor grabbed the phone agitatedly, and shoved it against his ear.

"Ghin? You'd better explain your sorry ass. You know that I take a break between twelve and one."

"Yeah, well, sorry about that Sanji. I forgot about the time differences between countries." Ghin replied apologetically, "I just heard something on the grapevine."

Breathing in more of his cigarette, which was currently the only thing keeping him from losing his rag, he said, "I don't like gossip Ghin," his tone was hostile, "I like hard facts."

"I know that, but it's really important! It could jeopardise your future as a free man?"

"What the fuck does that mean?" Sanji stubbed out his fag in his glass ashtray, then swapped the phone to his opposite ear, "Don't speak to me with riddles or whatever that shit is."

"That barn we got rid of the old man in…the police have supposedly been investigating it…"

"Well yeah. One of my contacts has already told me that. Tell me something I don't know Ghin?" Sanji restlessly tapped his fingers against his chair.

"…they've figured out that the barn, was Zeff's final resting place. Also, there might be evidence to link you to the crime Sanji."

"SHIT!" he rose to his feet, causing the servant to back away slightly, "How the hell did this happen!"

"I thought your plan was foolproof too sir, but, don't panic. Just lay low for a while, and I'll be back as soon as I finish the errands you sent me on."

There were a few moments of silence before Sanji spoke again, "…Fine. How long will you be?"

"A week, possibly two. It depends on how fast I can travel around the globe."

"Just hurry Ghin. You're the only person I trust right now. I feel unsafe without you with me." His voice wobbled with a hint of fear.

"Don't worry Sanji. I'll be with you before you know it. Stay safe boss."

"You too Ghin. Don't let those foreign fuckers mess with you, right?"

There was a small chuckle from the other end of the line, "Sure thing. Bye."

Hanging up the phone, Sanji looked longingly down at the phone in his hand. Then, he turned towards the servant man and shot him an evil glare.

"S-sir? Shall I take the phone back for you?"

Lowering his eyes, Sanji retorted in a sultry tone, "No, it's fine," the servant man sighed with relief that he wasn't angry, but failed to notice what his superior had removed from the side table.

BANG!

A shocked expression remained on the servant's face, as blood spread along the fabric of his shirt. As he collapsed to the ground, Sanji placed the gun calmly back on the table. He proceeded to sit back down, and acted as if nothing had happened.

Looking towards the dead man, who was now lying in a pool of his own blood, he smiled softly and clucked his tongue, "Who would have thought something so therapeutic could end up so messy." Since the corpse failed to reply, Sanji continued, "You're beginning to piss me off again…" he began to dial a number on the phone, "…So I think I'll have you removed from my sight."

"Patty here."

"Patty, there's a carcass beside my pool, and I'm finding it rather distracting," he said casually, "So get your lazy ass down here and clean it up…if you would be so kind."

After a growling noise, the lackey replied, "Get right to it…_asshole_…"

The drug lord laughed, as he threw the phone aside and took a sip from his whiskey on the rocks.

"Ahh," he sighed contentedly, and crossed his arms behind his head, "This is the life."

"I don't know about this Zoro," Luffy sat behind the man's desk, and looked uncertainly at the phone, "You really think he'll go along with it?"

"Look, we won't know until we've tried okay?" Nami snapped.

Scowling, Luffy picked up the receiver and sent the woman one of his 'special' glares. A smile almost crept on his face as she uncomfortably shuffled in her seat.

"Trust me Luffy, it'll work as long as we don't mess it up."

In that moment, Luffy had complete faith in Zoro, which leaked through his smile and began to speedily dial the number. As a ringing tone sounded, Zoro and Nami put on headphones, while Luffy cleared his throat. It felt really dry…he could have done with some juicy meat, that always used to do the trick.

"Hey, this is Sanji's phone."

"Erm…" Luffy looked for help from the two people present, who mouthed appeared to be mouthing the same word and waved their hands frantically, "…Hi there! Can I speak to Sanji?"

There was a pause, "Who's askin'?"

"Erm…" Zoro had his head in his hands, and Nami was pointing at him with an exasperated look on her face, "Oh! It's Luffy. I'm sure he'll…"

"Luffy? Is that really you?"

The boy couldn't help but smile as he had been remembered, "Yup. Sure is."

There was a deep intake of breath and the sound of something burning, "How ya keepin'?" Sanji could be heard breathing out. Luffy mimicked Sanji smoking, to the two others who looked at him with confused expressions, which relaxed afterwards, "Thought you were in prison and all that. How d'ya get out?"

Scratching his head, Luffy replied, "It was quite easy actually…" Zoro repeated crossing his arms over, then swinging them outwards. Luffy took this as a sign that he should speak no further of it, "…but that doesn't matter now. How are you?"

Nami gave him an encouraging thumbs up, and the boy grinned back as Sanji began speaking again, "I'm doing pretty good, all things considered."

"Whatcha mean by that?"

"Well, I hate to break it to ya, but the old geezer's dead."

Sniffling, Luffy responded, "Oh…I'm sorry to hear that Sanji. Guess you're feeling pretty shit yeah?"

Inhaling could be heard again, followed by an exhalation of breath, "I suppose so," Sanji answered without any remorse in his voice, "The great news is that I've taken over his business!"

"Uh-hu." Luffy's eyes fell down to the floor.

"Look, what d'ya reckon, if you come over to my pad for a bit. Do you remember, the place Zeff used to take us to, the mansion with the sea view?"

Zoro felt something in his stomach flutter, as Luffy's eyes filled with joyful memories of the past.

"How could I forget? Sure, I'll see you there," Nami gestured towards herself and Zoro, praying that he'd get the hint, "Ooo, ah, would you mind if I brought a couple of friends along? I'm sure you'll like them?"

A sigh could be heard from Sanji's end of the line, "That's just typical of you Luffy. But I guess there's no stopping you. Sure, the more the merrier."

"COOL!" he sounded like a seven year old who just received the bike he'd wanted for ages.

"Come down in three days. I'd love to see you sooner, but I've got business to tend to. You know what Patty used to say, 'Da customer is king'."

Bursting into fits of laughter over Sanji's awful impersonation of Patty, Luffy replied, "Can't wait. I'll see you in three days then."

"Course. I'll be counting the days." Sanji said teasingly, and then hung up the phone.

Placing the phone back on the receiver, Luffy looked from Zoro to Nami, waiting for some sort of praise for doing good.

"Thank god that's over," Nami yanked off the headphones and threw them on Zoro's desk, "I really thought you were gonna mess up for us back there. At least you pulled it off."

Nami strutted out of Zoro's office, swaying her hips in her usual fashion. Frowning, Luffy let out some air, then breathed it back in again. His head flew upwards, as he felt a firm grip on his shoulder. Tilting his head towards the hand, he instantly recognised it as Zoro's. Gazing up at the green-haired wonder, he found the man staring away from him at something else in the room.

Dropping his head, Zoro beamed down at Luffy, "You did good kid…well done…"

_Wheee! Another chappie down! Aww, Zoro praising Luffy is soooo kawaii!_

_For once I don't have much to say really, so instead of my usual rant, I'm gonna give you a little snippet of what's coming up in the next chapter:-_

'He was NOT dreaming this. He couldn't be, could he? Why of all the people in the world was he dreaming of kissing HIM!'

_Ooooh, I wonder who could possibly be dreaming about smooching another guy, hmmm…_

_I got another couple of votes on fave characters, this is the standings so far:-_

_Luffy: 1_

_Zoro: 1_

_Trace: 1_

_Robin: 1_

…_Oo;…this survey sucks ass! I haven't even included my fave!… But thanks to the two people who bothered giving me their opinion. _

_Reviews do help writers for inspiration, seriously, it's not a myth! So leave a message with your thoughts to me. I'm not gonna personally thank people after this chapter, cause it's not allowed on this site anymore (I've been a little rebel giving out responses to reviews here – I knew the ban, but thought what the hell! Sorry…) But don't think that your thought doesn't count, cause it does. Sayonara!_

_(p.s., thanks to those of you who have continually reviewed my story, you know who you are!)_


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The three days went by quite quickly to Zoro's surprise. He had been expecting that the never tiring Luffy would weigh him down and keep time passing slowly. However, he hadn't minded the guy as much as he had first thought. In fact, he was growing rather fond of him. A murderer he may be, but he still made good company.

Driving along the open road, Zoro looked at his rear view mirror, to see Nami scowling fiercely with her arms crossed. The reason for her foul mood, was that she and Luffy had almost torn each others limbs off, in a fight for the front passenger seat. Totally bemused by their infantile behaviour, Zoro had told them both to sit in the back. Of course, Nami refused to sit beside the black haired boy, for fear of being eaten. After plenty more yelling, Zoro decided for both of them, that Luffy would go in the front with him. At that, Luffy had belted out a huge '_all right!_', while Nami further protested against his decision. However, it was too late, since Zoro had already ushered Luffy into the car.

Taking a stolen glance at said front passenger, the green haired officer recalled the previous evening. Some memorable events had happened, events that were determined to stick in his mind.

---

Eyes closed tightly and vaguely drifting off into a pleasant slumber, Zoro lay on his bed with his arms crossed behind his head. There were a few shuffling noises and one nasty sounding smash, but he thought nothing of it. As he fell deeper and deeper into sleep, he failed to notice the figure standing at the door.

---

_The grass prodded annoyingly into his back, as he napped in his usual spot under the birch tree. Rearranging his position, the young boy let out an accidental snore._

_A small, girlish giggle sounded from the other side of the tree._

_Scrunching up his face, the boy did his best to ignore the light footsteps coming around towards him._

"_Zoro?" the familiar voice of his friend appeared, but he didn't bother acknowledging that he was aware of her prescence. "Quit the act Zoro. I KNOW you can hear me." he felt a nudge at his side, but wasn't going to give up without a fight. "ZORO!"_

"_Oww!" he was forced up with a heafty kick to the stomach. Throwing daggers at the blue haired girl, he yelled, "Hey! What the hell did you go do that for?"_

"_I don't like it when you deliberatly ignore me. My dad told me it's impolite to ignore someone who's trying to talk to you."_

"_Whatever Kuina," pulling himself up into a sitting position, Zoro itched his back. That grass had agitated his skin something awful. "What do you want then."_

"_Wondered if you wanted to play cops and robbers?" her dark eyes twinkled with joy at the prospect of the game._

"_As long as I get to be the cop this time. You're always the cop."_

"_So? My dads a cop, so I deserve to be one too."_

"_I won't play if I'm not the cop."_

_In a defeated voice, Kuina replied, "Fine. But I bet you can't catch me."_

_Raising his hand up to imitate a gun, Zoro made banging noises, as he went in persuit of Kuina. When she blew a raspberry at him, Zoro was infuriated enough to pick up the pace. Soon he found himself almost in reach of her._

"_Bang! Bang!"_

_Falling to the floor, Kuina dramatised her demise with loud wails of pain. Catching his breath, he bent over with his hands on his knees. Peeking up, he saw that Kuina remained on the ground, motionless. Running to her side, he knelt down and poked her shoulder._

"_You can get up now Kuina. I won, so you don't have to act up know," there was nothing, "Kuina, wake up." He shook her gently by the shoulders, but shook more violently when she reamined still. Tears began to form in his wide eyes, "Kuina? Don't die. I didn't mean to hurt you."_

_Removing his hands from her shoulders, he gathered his face in his hands, and began to sob._

"_Rule number one Zoro…" his eyes shot down to the girl lying on the ground, "…never fall for the enemies tricks!"_

"_Kuina, you…" his insult was cut short, as Kuina pinned him to the ground. Looking up to the sky, he realised they were under his birch tree again. Squinting his eyes, he tried to see Kuina's face, but it was in shadows._

"_Can you remember rule number two, Zoro?" too involved in trying to see her face, he was blinded by the sharp glimmers of sunlight through the leaves. For some strange reason, he felt like he was a man again, and also that Kuina seemed to be a bit heavier than a moment ago._

"_Keep your friends close…" wait, something was out of place here. That was not Kuina's voice, it was someone elses…a man…_

"…_and your enemies, closer." A smiling face leaned in closer to his, lips only a fraction away from each other._

_He was NOT dreaming this. He couldn't be, could he? Why of all the people in the world was he dreaming of kissing HIM!_

---

Shooting up from the pillow, Zoro was met with a surprise. As he had shot up, his lips just happened to meet with anothers. The only thing was, he didn't pull away, not at first anyway. The other didn't appear to be bothered, as he didn't remove himself either. Strangely enough, he could have sworn that he was pulled in deeper by his supposed 'victim'.

Deciding that this was all too wrong, he reluctantly pulled away from the man he had only a few moments ago been dreaming about. Flushed and utterly humiliated, a blush spread across his cheeks.

"Fuck, I am so sorry! I honestly didn't know you were there. I mean, uh, I was having a dream, and well, uh."

"Calm down Zoro, it's alright," getting up from the officers lap, the ever grinning boy leapt onto the floor. Stretching his arms, as if he too had just woken up from a nice nap, he continued, "I'm hungry. Are you hungry? Can you cook for us? I'm starving."

"Alright, alright. I get your point Luffy. I'll get up and make something. It's getting late anyhow, just give me a minute to pull myself together."

With a look of bewilderment, Luffy said, "But you're already dressed."

"That's not what I meant Luffy. Ugh, just give me a couple of minutes and I'll be out."

"Sure thing!" briskly walking out the room, Luffy jaunted out the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Gathering up his thoughts, Zoro replayed in his mind what had just happened.

Had he just done that? Had he actually kissed Luffy? Had he really wanted more?

"What!" he blurted out loud, "_Want more? How ridiculous._" He thought to himself.

Picking himself off his bed, he made his way to the kitchen, where to his discomfort, Luffy was already waiting for him. Also, he couldn't help but notice all the meat out on the units.

"Ergh, Luffy? What's with all the meat?"

"Well, I wanted some, and I couldn't choose which one I wanted, so I ended up picking them all."

Chuckling at Luffy's hilarious honesty, Zoro began to replace some of the meat back to their rightful places.

"Hey! What's the meaning of this? Put it back!"

Grabbing a leg of the chicken Zoro currently had in his grasp, he began tugging it violently.

"Look here," he shoved Luffy backwards, but not roughly, "I'm cooking, so you'll eat whatever I make, is that clear?"

Glaring at him for a few moments, Luffy then put on a cheerful façade, "Sure! As long as there's meat, I'm happy."

"Okay. Just, don't touch anything, and I'll get this ready for you in about half an hour. You alright with that."

Pouting, the boy then answered, "Fine. I won't touch. But I'll watch. I like to watch."

For some reason, Zoro automatically innuendoed the latter part of Luffy's words.

'I like to watch.'

A slight shiver went down his spine, as he grabbed a some vegetables from the fridge.

Noticing the great big frown that Luffy had momentarily put on, Zoro began to rinse a handful of lettuce in the sink, "I thought I'd try introduce some veggies into your diet. I swear all that meat can't be good for you." Luffy only looked unconvinced. "Trust me, I'm sure you'll love it. Anyway, I'm making some chicken breasts too."

At this, Luffy smirked and boosted himself onto the unit and leaned over Zoro, "I never was a breasts man. I prefer legs myself."

Embarrassed, Zoro turned to the oven to hide his blush, throwing the chicken into the oven.

Noticing how subtle the muscles were on Luffy legs, currently swinging back and forth, "_I think I might be a legs guy too…_" he thought to himself.

"You alright Zoro? You look a bit flushed."

"Ugh," fumbling with the vegetable knife, he hurriedly diced some carrots, "I'm fine, really. Ouch!" Dropping the knife, Zoro observed the cut on his finger, as it began to bleed profusely.

Jumping off the unit, Luffy took his hand and too, took some time to examine it, "Here, let me."

Wrapping his lips around the marred finger, Luffy began to suck it gently. Zoro had almost jumped back, but he now found his legs turning to jelly at the sensation of Luffy's tongue running over the wound. On the verge of collapsing to his knees, he was only partially pleased when the black-eyed man pulled back. The grin he was wearing almost looked painful.

"Look, I stopped it bleeding." He said, obviously rather pleased with his victory. Starting for the door, he called back to the flabbergasted man, "Let me know when dinner's ready. I'm gonna sit through here for a while."

Stopping himself from calling him back, Zoro set his mind back to the task of making dinner. All these feelings were annoying him, and thought it better just to ignore them, at least for now…

---

Snapping back into reality, Zoro couldn't fail to notice the violent shaking of his arms.

"Turn left! Turn left!" cried Luffy.

Nami could be heard slamming into one of the doors, as Zoro took a sharp turn to the left. Gravel could be heard crumbling under the tyres, as the drove through open gates. This was it, no turning back now.

In a few minutes, they would come face-to-face with the one and only Sanji.

_Aha! I'm back again!_

_There's some tension starting up between Zoro and Luffy, and it's not the bad kind. Hee, how will things pan out a Sanji's crib? You'll just have to wait another week or two to find out…although, since I've had some sweet reviews from you amazing folk, a little teaser won't hurt…_

"_Cute? Did he just call me cute!_" Zoro sat as still as a statue, as he felt fingers making circles on his hand, "_…oh…shit…_"

_I wonder who's getting our green haired bushido in a tizzy. Well, keep reviewing and I might consider continuing this fic so you can find out…kidding, nothing in hell is gonna stop me from posting this fic. No fear. Sayonara!_


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The warm air swept past the three allies, as they stepped out of the car. As soon as the final door was slammed shut, a man in a suit came to greet them. Well, not so much as 'greet', but ordered them to follow him. Not quite the welcoming party they had all been expecting. Each in their own way was nervous somewhat. There was Luffy, who didn't feel terribly comfortable about the whole back-stabbing an old friend situation. Then there was Zoro, who was silently praying to god that this would all go as smoothly as possible. Lastly was Nami, who was worried that her hair might be a strand out of place. Walking through marble halls, the three entered the ultimate contemporary home. There, centred in the midst of it all, sat quite casually, a skinny blonde, fag drooping from the side of his mouth. With a word from the suited man, the blonde turned around wearing a large grin on his face. Standing, he jaunted up to them, and took Luffy in a tight embrace.

"Luffy!" taking a step back, Sanji took the boy's face in his hands, and observed it, "God, you've grown up over the past few years!"

"So have you," ruffling his nose against Sanji's, he tickled the small patch of hair on his chin. This caused the drug baron to giggle, almost femininely. At least, that's what Zoro thought. As he watched the two, his face contorted into a nasty grimace, which Sanji seemed to catch on to.

"Hey man! Didn't know you felt left out," with a small hack from his throat, Zoro was squeezed into a hug by the surprisingly strong man, "I hope that you'll enjoy your stay." He whispered into Zoro's ear, nipping at the earlobe before moving on to Nami, "Hello there. You are quite a lady."

With a giggle, Nami deliberately placed a blush on her cheeks and lifted her shoulders into a slight shrug, "Why, thank you."

Sanji chortled a little, on taking another long look at the green haired man, who had the most amusing look upon his face.

"Please, come sit."

Placing an arm around Luffy and Zoro, Nami could only follow behind, arms crossed and huffing. "_What the hell is this! Is this guy gay or something!" _Nami laughed at the thought in her head, and put on a cheery face as she sat down on the sofa. To her great displeasure, Luffy sat beside her, while Sanji had ushered Zoro to the opposing sofa. No matter how much he tried, Zoro couldn't avoid making bodily contact with the blonde. He had never felt so awkward in his whole life!

"So tell me Luffy," he ran his eyes up and down Zoro's body, who was looking anywhere but at him, "Who's this cute little friend of yours?"

"_Cute? Did he just call me cute!_" Zoro sat as still as a statue, as he felt fingers making circles on his hand, "_…oh…shit…_"

"His name's Zoro," Luffy grinned.

If Zoro was worried before, only god knew what he felt at that moment. Apart from the fact he had been called 'cute' by Sanji, Luffy didn't even disagree. What did that mean? Could it be…

"I'm Nami," she stretched across the table, hand outstretched, desperate for some attention.

Looking from her hand to her face then back again, Sanji snorted, focusing his attention back to Zoro, "Yeah lady. Now Zoro, what did you say you do for a living?"

"Eh!"

Leering, Luffy pulled Nami back down to her seat, which he was given a glare for, "He's a male stripper. That's how we met."

"Eh!"

Even Nami was gob-smacked now.

"Oh yeah?" Zoro felt a hand pry at his shirt, "Maybe you'd like to give me a demonstration sometime."

"Eep!" he slapped away the hand, but it returned with a vengeance, stroking the curves of his chest.

"Ah, you're the quiet type then eh? I like that." The scent of smoke descended upon him, as Sanji slid up close, leaving the helpless cop with nowhere to run.

Growling at the back of her throat, the red head clenched her fists, jealous of Zoro being felt up by the hottie to his left. There was nothing in the job description about a gay guy, (a hot one might I add), flirting with her co-worker! Usually, she'd use her charms on men to lure them in before putting them behind bars. Basically, it all meant that she was useless, unable to do a darn thing. However, in the back of her mind, she figured that if she was of no use, she could still have fun.

"That's right!" she said, throwing a leg over another and twisting her hair playfully, "I'm one of the bar hands at the strip club. It would be an understatement to say he is admired by most of the guys who go there."

"I'm sure," Sanji purred, backing off from Zoro ever so slightly, but making sure his hand rested upon a firm thigh.

Scratching the back of his head, Luffy looked about the room and asked, "Got any food around here? I'm starved!"

Laughing and making sure he gave Zoro's thigh a good slap, Sanji grinned at his friend, "Yeah, sure I do. I still don't know how you keep that figure of yours Luffy! If I ate like you, I'd be the size of a whale!"

Even Zoro couldn't help but laugh a bit, even though he was uncomfortable with the hand on his person. He never was one for bodily contact, and some from a _guy_ he only knew from some nasty looking case files, didn't help him at all. A _guy_! Yeah, he'd had a couple of woman flirting with him before which he could handle, but this was a first, and hopefully a last! Unless…

No, he refused to let his mind wonder down _that_ path. It was off limits! Things were hard enough as it is! Every day that went by, meant one less day to be with _him_.

"MEEEEEEEEEEEAT!" bellowed Luffy, sounding like he hadn't eaten any for years. As the black haired teen munched away at the tender meat, Zoro was surprised that he wasn't disgusted by his unsavoury eating habits. In fact. He thought it made him look kinda…adorable. It was like, the sloppy eating was just another part of Luffy's personality, the sort of thing a person would wither love or hate. To be honest, he'd grown fond of it, even though they hadn't been together for very long. Mockingly, Zoro thought to himself that he was making things sound like they were a couple. The whole thing sounded ridiculous. He had no idea why he was even thinking about the subject.

If all this was so, why was he doubting himself?

_Sorry for the long wait folks, blame my lack of inspiration (for life in general). Things have sucked just a tiddy widdy bit. Yeah, you guys aaaall now what I mean I'm sure. A good thing though, is that I managed to get through my college interview, so I'm starting up 4th Sept. I'll do my best to get this completed before then, since I have most of the chapters written up already._

_Right now, my mum and aunt (who so happens to live right next door) are off on holiday to watch motorbike racing (yeah!), so me and my sis have to house sit two houses! On top of that, my other relatives are away to Turkey, so I have to look after their place and their birds while they're gone too. I was gonna use their internet connection, but they've taken the whole f'ing lot down. I hate them! And my hamster just died today, so kinda pissed about that too. Meh._

_So please keep reviewing, I might even start replying personally to them (so lazy, I should be doing that already!). I'll try guys. Luv ya'll!_


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

All alone, lying in bed, Luffy lay like a starfish amongst the large duvet. Zoro had opted for sleeping on the couch the past few days. He felt guilty that his green haired 'friend' was sleeping there, but rather Zoro than himself. It wasn't like the guy didn't have a choice. Luffy would have been more than happy to share the bed with him, it was a double bed after all.

Finding the land of dreams out of reach, Luffy could only lie there, looking up at the ceiling. Not that the ceiling was particularly interesting, but there wasn't much else to look at. Then again, Luffy could swear that there was a shape up there that looked like Zoro. Although nowadays, most things seemed to look like him…

"_I wonder if he's still awake?_" he wondered, pushing the duvet aside.

Sitting up, he shuffled across the bed, until he was able to reach the floor with the tips of his toes. As silent as he could, Luffy crept toward the door which led to the living room. Still wearing his denim blue shorts, he didn't bother putting his red shirt back on. He really couldn't be bothered, since there was no point in putting it back on just to take it off again.

Reaching the door, he gradually pushed it open, revealing the green haired god sprawled out on the couch, fast asleep. Ignoring the abnoxious snoring he made, Luffy went across to him and crouched at his side. Lucky for him, it looked as if the cop had stripped off most of his clothes. Cheekily giggling, Luffy lifted the thin duvet up and gazed down to see that he had taken off more than he had first thought. On the verge of drooling, he let the cover fall gently back onto the man's loins. He truly was a sight to behold. Zoro had a build which even the greek gods would worship; lips that had the ability to bring people to their knees; and christ, he was well endowed too!

Grabbing his complaining stomach, Luffy did his best not to think about eating the man right there! He was just too delicous for words.

Curiously, he placed his hand on the other man's glistening chest. A peck twitched under his gentle touch. His caress ventured downward, smoothing over riveted muscle. Closing his eyes, he lightly kissed the sleeping man on the lips. He dared not touch the man any lower down, but just ran his fingers over the rippled flesh, savouring in that moment. Lips still hovering lovingly over the other's, he gave the man one final kiss. Positive that if he continued this, he wouldn't be able to control his primal urges.

As he left, there was a slight moan from Zoro, who threw himself about a bit, seeming to be searching for the touch that had momentarily left him. Longingly, Luffy smiled softly, witnessing the glorious man behind him. With a painful pang of hunger in his gut, he returned to the bedroom. There, he thought about Zoro, the way he smelt, tasted. Licking his lips, Luffy tucked his arms behind his head. Letting his imagination run wild, he dreamt of many a pleasant thing. All of which involved the police officer he craved for.

That morning, he woke up feeling quite pleasant. Since he had been sleeping on the couch, his sleep hadn't been brilliant. But this morning, he had a certain buzz about him. Grabbing his clothes from the floor, he put them on, not wanting Luffy to see more of him than necessary. (author looks devious… ;D)

It had already been a week and a half since he had got Luffy out of prison, which left him just over three more weeks. Time seemed to be slipping through his fingers like sand, and he didn't like it. He still hadn't managed to meet up again with Sanji, or find out anymore about his drug ring or if he was the actual killer of 'Red Shoes'. Somehow, he needed to turn things around, and fast!

Pondering his thoughts over a mug of coffee, his brow furrowed with intense thinking. What could he do?

First things first, he needed to get closer to Sanji…which he didn't want to do, since the guy seemed intent to do so anyway. Remembering their first and only encounter sent unpleasant chills down his spine. Not being the 'touchy feely' type of guy, he loathed having the blonde oaf poke and prod at him like that. Reminding himself of his long-term goal, he reckoned to himself that all of it was just another part of the job.

Placing down the now empty blue mug, he sighed exited the kitched. Digging out his mobile, he shuddered as he began to dial up Sanji's phone number. Looking around to make sure Luffy wasn't around, he waited for someone to pick up on the other line. For what seemed like an eternity, Zoro's ears were tortured with the incessant ringing tone. On the verge of giving up, the ringing died out and was replaced by a smoky voice on the other end.

"_Hello, this is Sanji speaking._"

Instantly gritting his teeth in annoyance, he put on a falsely cheery voice, "Hi there Sanji, it's me, Zoro."

There was a hearty cheer from the blonde, "_Ha, I remember you. Luffy's friend, right?_" Making a noise of agreement, Zoro decided to let him do most of the talking, since the man seemed to love talking anyway. "_Well, whazzup my friend. Missing me already?_"

Swallowing down an angry growl, Zoro could see the blonde grinning in his mind, "Something like that. Say, how would you feel about having a private chat, just you and me?"

"_Sounds…good,_" there was a small raspy chuckle, "_What's the occasion?_"

"Nothing much, I was just interested in your line of work. Wanted to know if you needed a hand s'all." As soon as he said it, he regretted it and waited for the sly remark.

"_Hmm, I can think of a couple of things your hands could do for me._" holding back the disgust he felt in the pit of his stomach, Zoro slouched down on the sofa, "_Come by tomorrow evening, and we'll discuss things more…indepth. Until then, ciao._"

Not bothering to say goodbye, he hung up and flung the phone onto the table. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he inwardly cringed at what tomorrow might bring.

"Who were ya talkin' to?" the now familiar voice of Luffy rang merrily in his ears. Plopping down beside the green haired man, he looked up with wide black eyes.

"Just some guy from HQ…nothing of your concern." Lied Zoro, not wanting Luffy to get involved with tomorrows meeting with the baron. Not really sure why, he just wanted to keep the kid out of harms way. The guy had his way with making him turn into a softie.

There was a silence which insued. Verging on uncomfortable, the cop tried to think of something to steer him clear of his plans.

"Wanna eat out?"

"YAAAAAAAYY! FOOOOOOOOOD!"

Laughing, he ruffled black tresses between his fingertips. A skinny hand slapped him away. Arms crossed, Luffy pouted like a spoilt kid and did puppy dog eyes at him.

"Stop brooding and start getting ready Luffy," as the young man leapt of the sofa and bounded back to the bedroom, Zoro added in his head, "_Cause I can't resist you when you look at me like that…_"

Sorry about the chapter, I think it's shorter than my life expectancy (that's tiny)! Well, we can see Zoro really warming up to our ickle meat lover now. What's gonna happen between them, if anything? Keep reading to find out.

I'm starting college at the beginning of September and my induction date is 30th of August, so it's gonna start getting tricky to post stuff. But I will get there, you may have to bear with me though. Keep the reviews a comin', they're fab. Sayonara!


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 

Rubbing the newly made red rash on his cheek, he restrained himself from returning the slap. Teeth grinding together agitatedly, he took deep breaths. He was this close to giving the redhead a piece of his mind. And at the moment, his mind was considering murder.

"Look, it's one evening for godsake!"

"That's more than enough time for him to eat me!" Nami yelled, pointing toward the figure standing outside the door. Said figure peered through the window and smiled, waving at the male police officer.

"I have to be at his place in…" he glanced down at his watch, "…four hours! I should be getting ready to leave now."

Burning, deep auburn eyes did nothing to waver his glare. Caught in this pathetic staring match, he knew he wouldn't win her over like this.

"I promise, I'll make it up to you," deciding that he needed something more to persuade her to see his way, he added, "You're the only person I trust to do this. Please, Nami." To give himself credit, this was partially true. She had worked with him on this case, and he wasn't willing to hand over Luffy to some stranger.

"Okay…" he barely stopped himself from punching a fist victoriously into the air, "I swear, if I end up dead, I'll haunt you until the day _you_ die!"

Rolling his eyes, he patted her shoulder, "Trust me, he won't kill you. Don't be such a drama queen." Nonchalantly, he grabbed his jacket and headed toward the door. On opening it, the man who was causing him such hassle leapt onto him. Dazed, Zoro opened his eyes to find himself lying on his back. The younger man's legs still wrapped around his waist as was his arms. Blushing, he pushed himself up. Luffy remained clinging to him still.

"Do you mind?" everyone was staring at them, and he didn't like the attention. People began whispering behind their plastic cups of coffee and papers.

The black haired man looked dejected and removed himself from cop. Staying cross-legged on the ground, he smiled once more as Zoro offered a hand up. Accepting the gesture, he grabbed it and hoisted himself up. Keeping himself from going off balance and falling back onto Zoro, even though he wanted to, he leaned against a desk. Said desk's owner scowling at him, but he was too absorbed in his male friend to notice, never mind care. Following the cop back to his desk, he sat on the edge as the man threw on a jacket and picked up his car keys.

"Where ya takin' me?" he asked without hiding his excitement.

A look of almost sympathy crossed Zoro's face, "Sorry, you've got to stay with Nami. Behave, and don't mention meat in any shape or form." He inwardly scoffed at himself. It sounded like he was talking to Luffy as if he were a child. "I've got something I need to do tonight."

"Can't I come too, pleeeeease?" large eyes seemed to glisten with tears.

"I wish you could, but this is serious work," not minding what he was doing, he raised a hand to the young mans face, stroking a soft cheek with his thumb, "…Look, I'm running late. See ya, Luffy…" swiftly recoiling from his face, Zoro made haste to the rear exit of the building. Apart from the fact his car was waiting there for him, he felt restricted of air in here. It had gotten hot, _really_ hot all of a sudden.

"Sanji?" he called out, his voice now cracking up and failing him.

He was desperately tired, but wanted to find his boss before he went and collapsed somewhere. Being his second in command gave him a sense of closeness to the boss, and so he felt the need to keep him updated on his whereabouts. About to give up and go to his room, he brightened up as the smell of tobacco hit his nose. Sanji was nearby; maybe he had heard him calling.

As expected, the blonde rounded a corner and black eyes widened for a moment. Taking a single cigarette from his pocket, he proceeded to light it up.

"God Gin, you look like shit," he said casually.

His clothes beyond repair and all exposed skin covered in dirt, he had to agree that he must have looked awful. Still, the guy didn't need to be so god damn blunt about it! Although, this was Sanji he was dealing with. The epitome of all things cool and deadly. But he knew the guy better than most. He knew that behind the uncaring façade he wore daily, there was a pretty decent bloke. Walking up to him, Sanji ruffled his button nose and grimaced. Clearly, he wasn't overly keen on the cologne of sweat, mud and blood he currently sported.

"You _really_ need a bath Gin!"

Smirking, the sleep deprived man scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, I was planning on having one, don't worry."

There was silence, but not the uncomfortable sort. They just stood there in the entrance hall, secretly glad to see each other again. It had been a long time, longer than either of them had expected. But all the jobs that were dealt in this dirty business were unpredictable. A day could turn into a week, a week into a month and so on. Life was dull in between jobs, and it was absolute shit during them. But then, there were times like these when they'd be reunited, together, even if only for a little while. Makes the job less tedious sometimes.

Looking nearly bashful, the blonde shuffled his feet and peered up at him, "You good?"

Smiling, the filthy male replied, "I'm good."

Barely peeking above the distant horizon, the sun tinged the edge of the ever-darkening night sky in orange, stretching its fingers out to grasp onto the last few moments of daytime.

He liked the night, where only the soft moon caressed his skin like that of a lover, unlike the harsh, blinding light of day. Then there were the stars. Small pinpoints of unadulterated light scattered the vast skies. There was a star for everyone on the planet. A star for his father, his mother, Sanji, all the people he had murdered and of course, Zoro. Although for the latter, he had picked one out especially for him. It was the one in the middle of Orion's belt. Whenever he looked up at Orion, he felt strength, power within himself swell with hope. That is why he felt that his green haired companion deserved that one star. Right now, he gazed up at it longingly, making him feel not so alone anymore.

The redhead had shut him in this small, confined space. Said he was to keep out her way and keep quiet until he was taken away. At first, his gradually building dislike for her shot up a notch. But then, he figured that not all was bad. He didn't want or need her company, and he had a fine view of the open sky. Irked that the window was also locked shut, he accepted his dilemma and continued stargazing. Sighing for the first time in ages, his mind wondered back to his green god. The man was clearly didn't want him involved in whatever he was doing tonight. But why?

He wasn't sure whether he liked what Zoro was doing to him. At first, his feelings only extended to his desire to devour the man, since it had been a long time since he'd eaten human flesh. However, now, he realised he didn't want to hurt him, he just wanted to be with him. It was unnatural, for something to override his near insatiable hunger. Especially something as fickle as…love?

No, maybe not love. Possibly lust? Yes, he wanted to have the man in every sense of the word. He had not denied himself the pleasure of the other man's attractive appearance, frequently watching him when he wasn't supposed to. If he was caught doing something he wasn't supposed to, he easily covered it up by acting dumb. Of course, it could be love but, he couldn't know for sure, never experiencing it before.

Things weren't meant to turn out this way. All he'd had to do was use the cop then escape to wherever he wanted. Probably the place he'd always dreamed of, somewhere along the coastline, a sea view from the windows. Now, the damned man had went and complicated things. Whether it was the lack of human contact for years or he was just growing up, he didn't want to let Zoro go.

Sensitive ears picked up thudding footsteps walking through the hallways, no doubt heading his way. By the sounds of it, the footsteps owner was none other than his eagerly anticipated guest for the evening. He had memorised the way in which the man had walked during their initial encounter. The pace he set himself, the amount of pressure in every footfall, the slight swagger in tapered hips.

Snuffing out his cigarrete, a small smile quirked on his thin lips. There was no denying how handsome the guy was. Firm muscular body that would make a body builder blush, a strong jaw line left in that constant part frown – he was always a sucker for the strong, distant types.

"Let's talk business Sanji." The green haired man instantly sat on the couch opposite him, arms crossed with a near glare on his face.

Laughing softly, he stubbed out his cigarette butt and leaned back in his chair, "You don't waste time do you?" Zoro scowled intently at him, not uttering a word, "I'll take your silence as a yes then. Well, what proposition do you have to make?"

Leaning his elbows onto his knees, Zoro started, "I spoke with one of your security guards last time, and they mentioned what sort of things you do to make money."

"Really?" stroking his chin, in an almost camp gesture he flicked his hand forward, "Which one of them was it? Seriously, they shouldn't gab about my business to others."

"I can't remember who, but it's alright, I wanna help. You know, you being a friend of Luffy's I know I can trust you."

"That's all fine and well but…" raising from his seat, he went over to the large couch and slid along the leather material to Zoro. "…How do I know if _I_ can trust you?"

Fingers slid up and down the undercover cops arm, muscles going taut under tanned skin. Obviously the man wasn't used to advances from the same sex. That was made clear when last they met. However, Zoro didn't seem interested in women. Maybe he was wrong, but Sanji figured that if he came onto him the right way, then he might get some intimacy from the handsome man.

Eyes going saucer like, he remained frozen in place. There was no way that he could blow his cover by telling Sanji where to shove it. But, he didn't want the blonde like that either, it was making him feel uncomfortable to say the least.

"Eh, dunno. Erm…" the slinky hand slithered down to his leg, rubbing against his upper thigh. "…I could do a job for you, and after that you can decide."

"Mmm, good idea." The blonde rasped, nuzzling into his throat, "I have a customer that's across the border, who wants some more coke. Sooo, you could take a little hike up north and give it to him for me."

"S-sure, whatever you want." He wasn't sure how much longer he could take this before cracking.

"Is that so? _Whatever_ I want eh? What if I want _you_, Zoro…" as he was about to lean in for some lip action, he was roughly shoved away. "What's wrong? Not into guys?"

"Sorry, it's just that, you're not my type." He wasn't really sorry. Under different circumstances he would have pounded the prissy blonde for coming onto him. Sadly, his duty prevented him from beating him senseless there and then. He could dream though, right?

"Soooo, who is your type then?"

"Luffy I guess." With sudden realisation dawning upon him of what he'd just said, he restrained himself from smacking his hands over his mouth.

Sniggering, Sanji went over to a small safe inserted in a wall and tampered with the lock, "I should have known you digged him. Geez, I hate to admit it but you two do have some chemistry goin on there."

"You think?" once again, he noticed that he was honestly asking the drug baron, of all people, his opinion on the two of them.

"Yep. Shame though, I would've like ya for myself, if ya know what I mean." Zoro shuddered at that. The man had made it crystal clear on how he had wanted him. "Anyways, here, take this and keep it safe. And this sheet here says where and when you've to meet." A clear bag of white powder and a neatly folded piece of paper were handed over to him. Nodding, he went to leave without saying goodbye, but was stopped by the cheery voice of Sanji.

"Hold on!" he would kill himself there and then if he had been secretly figured out, "Don't I get a kiss goodbye pretty boy?"

Gritting his teeth and putting on a painful forced smile, he rose his middle finger and shouted back as he made his quick getaway, "In your dreams!"

He barely heard Sanji's laughter as he sought out the exit as fast as he could without looking suspicious. When he reached his car he felt like hugging it, but merely popped inside and started up the engine. His little chit chat with the tobacco addict had opened his eyes, and it worried him. It was clear to him now how he truly felt for the raven haired renegade. As much as he wished that he could will those feelings away, he knew now without a doubt, that he was undeniably attracted to Monkey D. Luffy.

"_Damn him!_"

Mwahaha! At last, I may soon have a chance to get a certain couple into bed. I'll make sure that Luffy is fed and fully charged for sum hot stuff. Can't expect the poor guy to exert himself if he hasn't eaten anything.

_Luffy: FEEEEEED MEEEEEEE!_

_He has an uncanny resemblance to Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors, no?_

_Luffy: HUUUUUUUNNNNGRYYYYYYYY!_

_Better go feed him my two annoying cousins…mwahaha, at last I'll be rid of them, little bastards!_

_Don't forget that I need my writing fuel too. Ya know, a little review (hopefully) telling me how good I'm doing. FEEEEED MEEEEE! Heh._


	13. Chapter 12

_AN:- Due to a high demand (from a person who reviewed and felt strongly about this matter) this is a quick disclaimer to say that I don't own Thomas Harris' 'Silence of the Lamb' novels and whatnot. Sorry if I've offended others who've had to suffer in silence without this long awaited disclaimer (sarcasm, lots n lots of it). Sorry, this girl is not a happy tiger. Since I'm here, I still don't own One Piece, because I know you'd all believe that I own all of these disclaimed things - yeah, and I'm Hans Solo._

Chapter 12

Running a hand through short hair, Zoro sat at his desk with a pen hovering over a piece of paper. Tomorrow was the big day and he still had final pieces of paperwork to fill out. He wished he had seen to it all earlier in the week rather than procrastinate. Apart from his lack of patience with the written parts of the job, a certain person kept distracting him from his work.

Said person merely sat quietly at the window, a look of contentment on his serene face. Sure, it was out-of-character for the boy to remain so still and silent for a long period of time, but that still wasn't why Zoro found him so distracting.

It was his encounter with Sanji that had opened up his eyes, and he wasn't sure how to cope with it. He had feelings for Luffy, but was at a loss of how to go about it. One option was to ignore them and continue with the case as planned. After all, Luffy was a man-eating criminal. Another was to initiate something with the black haired youth. How he would go about doing so, he did not know. He'd never been in an adult relationship, never mind been with a man! Also, he wasn't sure about Luffy's own preference. For all he knew, he could be into women and he'd end up scaring him off. Would starting something be pointless, since Luffy would be sent straight back to prison after everything was done and dusted?

'_Take Kuina's abruptly ended life as an example…Life is too short to squander about what you can or could have done. Seize the moment and live, for you never know when judgement day will come._'

The words spoken by the priest at his lost friend's funeral reverberated through his brain.Back then, he regretted not telling Kuina how he felt about her, even though he was just a kid. How was now any different?

"_I can't tell you now, but I will soon Luffy, I promise…_"

For the moment, he couldn't complete the papers scattered across his desk. Deciding that a break was in order, he stood and slid on his jacket. They'd been sitting in his office for just over two hours anyway. Luffy had been locked up in a small room for far too long.

"Hey Luffy, let's go grab a bite to eat. I'm famished!"

Head shooting straight around on hearing something about food, he leapt down from the windowsill and smiled. Stretching, he half-yawned, "Y-eah! I haven't eaten since we got here!"

Zoro took note of the small patch of skin visible as the boy stretched his long limbs, his shirt riding up ever so slightly. Thank god he had some sense of control, or he would have ripped that annoying red shirt clean off.

"_The things you do to me Luffy…_" he thought with a small grin on his face.

The next day… 

Waiting in the precise spot where he was supposed to meet Sanji's customer, he spoke, "The target should be here anytime now." He was wearing a microphone and earpiece, so his colleagues could hear him from a distance and relay information to him. The plan was to arrest the customer, whom had been referred to as Hawk on the sheet Sanji had given him, as soon as he had handed over the bag of coke. In case of anything unexpected, there was a backup team of twenty men and a police dog, who would be able to sniff out the bag of coke if Hawk somehow managed to do a runner with it.

A midnight blue convertible pulled into to isolated car graveyard. It had been abandoned years ago, which made it the perfect place for the exchange.

"The target is approaching. Prepare to move in." he murmured loud enough for the microphone to pick up. The vehicle parked up, and a tall male stepped outside the car. Zoro's insides froze as the man turned around, revealing his face to him. Under different circumstances he would have went and beaten the man calmly walking up to him. This was unreal, too absurd to be true.

Alabaster skin stood out beside the man's black moustache and unruly hair. Cheekbones stood out almost painfully so, making it look like he had been starving himself. His skeletal figure didn't help his appearance, a flowing trench coat several sizes too big hung loosely off his bony shoulders. Zoro was shocked to see him looking so haggard. To think, he once looked up to this man.

"You got something for me?" the familiar face asked, a slight French undertone in his voice.

Straining a half-assed leer, he held out the powder filled bag and jostled it toward him, "If you're Hawk, then yeah. Sanji sends his regards."

With a slight nod, the man reached out and snatched the bag from Zoro's hand. He motioned to go away, but stopped in half turn when the green haired man spoke up, "Hold on a second. I have something else for ya…"

Interested, Hawk turned back around with a quirked fine eyebrow. As soon as he had, he wished he'd just kept going. A solid fist connected with his jaw, sending him plummeting to the grit covered ground. About to get up and give the stranger a piece of his mind, he found himself weighed down and his hands roughly yanked behind his back.

"You're under arrest. I'm sure I don't need to tell you the rest, since you already know it, Mihawk!" he spat, handcuffing the ex-officer vehemently. Removing him from the ground by a handful of dark hair, Zoro kneed him in the stomach and gave him another punch to the face, "All these years, I've aspired to be like you, to be the best! And for what? To find out you're scum like the rest of 'em, you fucking piece of shit!"

"Zoro! Stop it!" a red headed girl grabbed the young man's arms and tried to pry him off, "Enough! Do you wanna lose your job!"

A group of officers dressed in uniform took Mihawk away, who had a sly grin on his face despite things. This ex-cop was no fool, and knew exactly how to get the other cop back for hitting him like that.

"Are you MAD!" his superior yelled at the top of his lungs, making him flinch, "You do _not _go about beating the shit out of your prisoners!"

"But sir!" he began, trying to think of a way to defend himself.

"But nothing. There was _no_ excuse for your actions. Lucky for you, Mihawk isn't planning on pressing charges against you." The huge man leaned forward on his chair, and slammed his human fist on the desk, "However I won't be so lenient if you _ever_ do anything so stupid again. I won't hesitate in taking away that badge of yours." Ignoring Zoro's attempt to get a word in, the Captain concluded, "Do I make myself clear!"

Lowering his eyes to the ground, he sighed before answering, "Yes sir."

"Good. Now get out of my office before I decide to throw you out of the force."

With that, he stormed angrily out of Morgan's office. He paid no mind to the startled look on the secretary's face. Right now, he needed to get out of here. If he stayed, he'd end up breaking something, a person's face if someone was unfortunate enough to find him in this state. Fuck work, there was always tomorrow to do that.

Fuming down the hallways, he eventually made it to the second floor office and into his own private room. Bright eyes did nothing to cool his angry emotions.

"Luffy, we're leaving." He said coldly, as an order instead of his usual friendly requests.

Hopping off the desk Luffy noticed that Zoro was in a black mood, and probably wouldn't take kindly to anything he had to say. As soon as Zoro was ready, they took the usual route to the car park and found his car. Luffy was sure that the ill-tempered man was driving over the speed limit, but remained silent in favour of keeping his head.

"I demand to have access to a phone." He sneered icily. There was no way that he'd let these pitiful excuses for policemen treat him like a common criminal. He made sure that they understood him clearly, having used to be the best of them all. Somewhere in his head, he liked to think that he still was, regardless of his retirement years ago.

"Uh, y-yes sir. I-if you'll come this w-way." The officer stuttered, holding the convict's arm lighter than he would any other, feeling the need to show some respect to the man.

Mihawk found himself being led down fluorescent-lit hallways, the false light stinging his eyes. Walking down them brought back memories of his hey-day. He had to come down here often to interrogate the many suspects he'd acquired. Those had been good times, he had to admit. As they rounded a corner, he recognised where they were, and that he'd get to make his phone call in a matter of minutes.

"Th-there you go sir." Straightening out his posture, the cop tried to act more assertive, "But I can only allow you one phone call. Sorry, but it's the rules."

With a chuckle, he scoffed, "I only need the one." To his pleasure, the cop moved away to give him some privacy. It made this so much easier. Dialling up a number which he'd memorised previously, he waited for someone to pick up on the other line.

After a few rings, a man's gravely voice came through, "Hey, who's calling."

With a smirk, he said quietly, "It's Mihawk. I have some…interesting things to tell you…"

_Sooooo, how exactly will Mihawk exact his revenge on our ever so kewl Zoro?…Well, you're gonna have to wait two chapters until you find out, cause the next chapter is dedicated to a lemon scene! Yup, even if it ends up really short I don't care, cause at least people will then have a choice whether to read it or not. My chapter average is around 4 pages, so that's how much I'd like to write for the lemon 0o; I'm sure it's gonna be a task and a half for me…bleh, I'll do my best!_

_Please review, cause they always make me smile and I feel that my writing is worth something, even if that something is 0.00000001pence. Sayonara!_


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